Summers with Sophie
by Heuvel
Summary: Harry has just been taken from the Durley's to The Black House, but in the air, he and the rest of the Order meet a mysterious young woman by the name of Sophie. Sophie's a witch, but her magic is far from what Harry's ever seen or felt. Harry/OC.
1. Chapter 1

Harry couldn't ask for a more beautiful night before him. The stars were twinkling in the most benign way, the air was smooth and cool, and he was just happy to be on his broom again, flying through the air, feeling his hair ripple around his face. It had been two long weeks at the Dursley's without even so much as being allowed to touch his broom. Normally he stayed with his relatives for the duration of the summer, but this summer he was happy to know that he would instead be going to the Black Home with Ron and Hermione for the rest of the holidays, and return with them to Hogwarts.

He was a little unnerved by the members of the Order of the Pheniox currently surrounding him, though. There was Moody, Lupin, Tonks, and a few others that had formed a circle around him. They had insisted to escort him back to his friend's house, in case Voldemort of Death Eaters were after him. Tonks took the lead, way in front, with Harry in tow, Lupin in the back, Moody to his right, and the rest lingering close by.

They had just lifted off of the ground, so it was no surprise when Moody said, "Move left. A muggle is looking up at the sky."

What was a surprise is that they saw another figure flying in the night sky before them. But before they could accurately make out who she was, they heard her radio before. It was a little one, tied to her broomstick, and telling the weather. "It seems to be a beautiful summer night, with a full moon and plenty of stars. Tomorrow's forecast will involve a lot of sun, but at the end of this week, there will be some scattered showers, so if you have anything planned for your weekend, you better be prepared. Now, I'll leave you with the classic music of the 60's…"

"What the bloody hell is that?" Moody snarled.

"It's looks like another witch…" Tonks said gently.

They slowly made themselves level with the witch. Harry got a close look at her. Her hair was long and of a dark brown, that was flowing behind her in the wind. Her body was small, petit even, and she was shorter than Harry. Her cheeks were already flushed because of the cool air around her, but she continued smiling anyway. Next to her sat a little black cat with big ears, who upon seeing the other wizards, started to tug on her black robes for her attention. There was a soft, 'Hmm?" from the witch as she turned her attention to her left, and spotting the others. "Hello!" She yelled, like she was saying something to a neighbor.

"What are you doing here?" Yelled Moody back at her.

"I've left home for my trading! And you?"

"…Trading?" Harry whispered.

"Her accent, Harry." Lupin muttered, "She's not from around here…"

"Show your wand!" Moody yelled.

The girl giggled and shook her head, "I haven't a wand."

Harry gave Lupin a panicked look. "She doesn't have a wand?"

Lupin didn't say anything, but instead wooshed his broom over so that he was beside the girl.

"Who are you?" "My name is Sophie." She smiled. "This is Pitch." She gave the cat an affectionate pet.

Harry noticed for the first time that her broom was nothing like that of what he's seen before. Instead of it having a bend in the stem, it was completely straight. Not only that, the bristles at the end poofed out so dramatically. He was especially, exceptionally surprised when he heard, "Uh…Sophie, should we be talking to these people?" from Pitch. His voice was male, small, and one that was often nervous.

"Don't you worry." She said to him, "Would you turn off the radio for me?" She looked at Lupin, "Who are you?"

"Remus Lupin." He said, "You're not from around here.."

"No, I'm not! I've just started flying tonight, actually! I've just left home."

"Why would you leave home?"

"When a witch turns 15, she must leave her parents and find a muggle village, to live in for a year." Sophie smiled at the other wizards surrounding Lupin, then back to Lupin.

"For what reason do you do this?"

"To understand." She said, "We are outnumbered by three to seven by muggles. This world is a muggle's world. So when we are of age, we move to somewhere where we can observe them, and learn from them." She looked a head, smiling hopefully, "I hope to find a village that needs a Healer. I need to practice. My mother was a great Healer. Do you know of any hospitals around here?"

"…Like…So they'd know you're a witch…?"

She blinked at him, then reached into her bag and pulled a little journal, "Where are we?"

"Over London at the moment." Lupin said softly, looking behind his friends. Everyone looked just as confused as he did.

"Ah." She said, "It says here, 'The British Ministry of Magic has required wizards and witches to refrain from showing their powers to muggles under variable protection acts.' I see…" She looked at him, "So…I shouldn't have flown so close to the ground, should I?"

"Arthur will like you." Lupin said with a smirk, "I bet while you're flying around here with no worries, you're giving the Ministry a run for its money. Why didn't you check where you were?"

"We follow our instincts." She said, "I choose my town by feeling."

"And where you come from, the muggles know you're a witch?"

She smiled, "Yes! They still talk about the time when my mother came to their town. She makes potions for them. For arthritis and sickness and things like that. She's also a midwife. I hope to be this."

"And they…are okay with it?"

"We help them." Sophie said, with somewhat concern on her face, "We keep them safe."

Lupin sighed and looked below him, at the muggle cities that were passing by, "Do you…" He said, almost as though he would regret this, "Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

Sophie brightened, "I do not. Oh, are you lot going somewhere?"

"Lupin." Snarled Moody, "She can't be trusted."

"She's a 15 year old girl." Lupin sighed, "She's harmless."

"She could be using Polyjuice Potion." Moody said, "You know what that is, girl?"

She blinked at Moody like he was some foul stupid young fellow, "12 lacewing flies that have been stewed for 21 days, 1 ounce of crude antimony, 4 leeches that have been uncalculated, 16 scruples of fluxweed that is picked at full moon, 3 drachms of pulverized sal ammoniac, pulverized blades of knotgrass, 1 pinch of powdered horn of a bicorn, filings and rasplings of saltpeter, mucury and mars, shredded dried skin of a boomslang, and the DNA of the person to be. Stir three time right, four times left, and add in one inch of black licorice to get rid of that awful taste." She turned and reaching into her bag, that had an expendable charm, for she was able to reach her whole arm inside it and it not show any indication of stretch, and presented a vial of what looked just like Polyjuice Potion. "We don't brew this potion often. It has no use to the muggles, you see."

"…She has the potion memorized, and they don't make it _often_?" Harry whispered to Tonks. Tonks reply was a shocked nod.

Moody's face was white, and Lupin was looking at her closely, "I think I know what you are…" He looked back at Moody, "Moody, please, she has no where to go. It's late, and she shouldn't be out at a time like this…"

Sophie looked down at Pitch, who was curled up at the base of the broom, and said, "It's only 9:00..."

"Not that type of time." Said Lupid, "Sophie, there is a war brewing just below us in the wizarding world. Have you ever heard of Voldemort?" Sophie only shook her head.

"That's it." Moody said gruffly, "She's coming with us. Hang on to that furball of yours, we're descending."

The wizards started to fly to the ground, but Harry was watching Sophie. While everyone crouched down low and became serious and focused, she stayed sitting up straight, her legs dangling peacefully below her, and she wasn't flying straight, she was more like floating. When they all touched the ground and dismounted, Harry watched while she merely hopped off her floating broom and stood beside it; the broom was holding the cat and bag in the air. When Moody instructed so, and they started to walk down the dark street, Harry watched as her broom followed behind Sophie.

"Lupin…" Harry whispered.

"I know, Harry."

"She's so…"

"Carefree." He finished for his post-student. And with that, the group walked inside 12 Grimmauld Place.

Molly shuffled out of the kitchen and grabbed Harry in a close, saying how glad she was that he was safe, but that he was skinny and a little pale. Harry hugged her back affectionately and smiled. He then said, "Uh…This is Sophie." And he turned around. Sophie was standing behind all the Order members, her broom still floating beside her.

She had a soft smile across her lips and she made eye contact with Molly. Passing through the members, the broom in tow, she held out her hand and said, "Hello, ma'am!"

"Oh..Hello dear…" Molly said softly. She gave a very disapproving look at Moody and Lupin before saying to Harry and Sophie, "We better get you two upstairs. Come on, now! Be quiet-we don't want to wake anything up."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"I'll explain it later. Everyone else is upstairs. Ron and Hermione should be in the room you and Ron will be in. Go on, now. Nice to meet you, dear." Molly said to Sophie last, as she watched the broom go up the stairs behind it's master.

Harry opened the door to the room indicated and was instantly hugged by Hermione, who fussed over Harry instantly. Ron, on the other hand, was staring at Sophie and the cat. "Harry…?"

"This is Sophie." Harry said immediately. "Sophie, this is Ron and Hermione. They're my best friends."

"Enchanted!" She said, holding out her hand and shaking both of theirs. She stopped at Ron and said, "I've never seen that hair color before…such flame!"

"What?"

"Actually." She looked back at Harry, "I've never seen a male witch before, either."

"We're wizards." Harry said, "And you haven't?"

"Surely not. I suppose if someone back home saw you two, and you all on brooms, they'd pluck you straight out of the air."

Ron went over to her broom and looked at it, "What brand of broom is this? Harry's got a Firebolt."

"Oh!" She snapped her fingers and the broom gently landed on the ground, the cat jumped up and crawled to her, eyeing the owls and watching the sight before him. "It's just a broom."

"Like…a flying broom?"

"No. The muggle next door let me have it. It was their grandmother's. She said she didn't use it anymore."

Now that was weird. Harry had never heard of a witch using a non-magical broom to fly in the air. But when he thought about it, using brooms had to start somewhere, and Sophie might just be using the old way of flying. But she flew so well, so gracefully, better than he might, actually.

"Kids?" Came Molly's voice.

"Hey mum." Ron said.

"We need you downstairs. You too, Sophie."

"Yes ma'am!" And she was the first one out of the door to follow Molly downstairs into the kitchen where the rest of the Order sat. There was Dumbledore, Sirius, Snape, and a few others that Harry didn't know came. He rushed over and gave Sirius a hug, asking him if he was well, but was ushered into a seat next to Sophie by Lupin.

Lupin waited until everyone was listening, and said, "As some of you may know, we have a guest here."

"And we shouldn't." Hissed Molly, "She's just a young girl. And you plucked her right out of the sky!"

"And what were we supposed to do, Molly?" Moody said, "Let her fly around and get killed by Death Eaters? She's never even heard of Voldemort."

The room blinked at Sophie in shock. Harry was glad he wasn't the only one who thought that this was weird. But Lupin pulled everyone out of their thoughts, because he smiled at Sophie and said, "Sophie, where are you from?"

"South." She said simply, "About 100 miles away from America."

"You FLEW your muggle broom from America?" Harry cut in suddenly, causing the adults to give him a look of disgust and confusion. He looked at them, "Her broom. It's not magical!"

"Yes, Harry." Lupin said calmly, "Sophie is a different type of witch than Hermione and Molly." He looked at Dumbledore, as if reporting, "She's from a far away island, and I'm guessing she was aiming for another island close to England?" He looked at Sophie, who nodded, "But got off course. She is a witch, but when she does magic, it's quite different than how we do it. For example, all her magic is wandless; she doesn't own a wand. Her kind are potions masters. And even though she's only 15, she's better at potions than Snape by tenfold." At this, Harry couldn't help but smile at Snape, who was glaring at Lupin. But Lupin only ignored him and looked at Sophie, "Would you demonstrate for us, Sophie?"

"Certainly! Pitch, go get my bag."

"Okie dokie." Said the cat, and he was off. The room became deathly quiet.

"Y-your cat!" Ron said, "He talks!"

"Yes, of course. My mother gave him a potion to talk when he was born." She smiled at him, "I bet we could try it on that little owl in your room. Would you like that?"

"Not one bit!" Ron said, "He's annoying enough as it is!"

"Maybe he's trying to tell you something."

Harry noticed, as well, that though she was innocent, she was also patient. He saw a lot of Dumbledore inside Sophie; her eyes even twinkled like his.

They waited until they heard the pitter patter of Pitch running down the stairs, followed by the little shadow jumping onto the table before them. He was carrying a little pouch in his mouth, that he dropped in front of Sophie. Sophie smiled at him and opened the bag, sticking her entire arm it, for it was also Extendable, and pulling out little vials and beakers and even a little stand to place them all on. Then she looked at Lupin, "Which potion should I do?"

"Severus?" Lupin asked. Snape only glared at the girl.

Smirking, he said, "Maybe you could try doing a potion that will clean this filthy house."

"Professor…" Hermione hissed at him, "That's not a potion!"

But Sophie wasn't listening. She took a large vile from her collection-it being the width of a tea cup-and held it up at eye level. Reaching into the bag, she took out a little bottle full of something green, and pour it into the vile up until half way. Then she took another little canister, though now filled with power, and sprinkled some into it. She then waved her hand over the vile, and a little poof of smoke flowed out of it. Getting up from her seat, she went to the middle of the kitchen, and poured one little drop onto the floor. What Harry and the others saw next was nothing short of a miracle. From the spot where the drop landed, the dirt and dust on the floor started to curl up around itself, and spread all over the room. This lining went up to the walls, the ceiling, the shoes by the door, even the stove and the top of the table, and in the end, it made a large black ball in the middle of the room-this ball, being all the dirt and grim that the room held. When Harry looked around himself, he saw that everything was absolutely spotless, shining even. Sophie went into the living room, and placed another drop, then the drawing room, the landings of the stairs, the bathrooms, and then went over to Fred and George and said, "Would you two mind going up stairs, and doing what I just did once in every room?" The twins nodded, Fred took the vial, and they went upstairs.

"Bloody hell…" Ron whispered as he looked around him, and his vision landed on Snape, "Can you do that?"

"No, Weasley, I can't." Snape said simply.

"It is not Severus' fault, Ron." Lupin said gently, "Sophie, here, grew up on potions. Severus did not."

"We need that for our house." Molly said jokingly.

Sophie smiled at Molly, and watched as Fred and George came back down with the vial still half full. She took the vial and poured it into an empty bottle that she pulled from her purse, then handed it to Molly. "We use this potion for people who are in wheelchairs or for the elderly. People who aren't able to clean every single inch of their home. But it goes bad after 48 hours." Molly beamed and looked at the potion, then tucked it away in her pocket.

Snape got up and picked up the ball of dirt that the potion made, and gave it to Kreacher to dispose of. "Impressive." He said, "I've never seen something like that before."

"And to benefit muggles…" Sirius said, "That's just what your kind do? That's your job?"

"Our purpose." Sophie smiled. "My mother said we've always had it better off with magic. We can clean our house, take away pain, even bring back the dead with just a couple of drops of potion. And where we come from, in order to prevent segregation between muggles and the magical, our government had us live together and help each other."

"The exact opposite philosophy of Voldemort…" Harry said quietly.

"You know…" Sirius said to Moody, "It wouldn't be a bad idea to invite her into the Order…"

"What?" Molly screeched out, "She's only 15!"

"Yes, well, she's an international connection." Sirius explained, "She could be helpful."

"Yeah!" Harry said, "I think she should be!"

"The Order?" Sophie asked.

"Not tonight." Molly said, "It's late. Tomorrow we're going back to the Burrow." She glanced at Sophie, as though she wasn't sure where Sophie would be going tomorrow, and continued, "To bed. Now. Everyone!" She ushered the children upstairs. Molly decided that Harry and Ron share a room, The Twins another, and Hermione, Ginny and Sophie the third. But Harry could hardly sleep that night, for he had had the longest day of all his friends. He had been rescued from the Dursley's, flown over cities with the Order, met the more peculiar witch named Sophie, and tomorrow he would be heading to the Burrow for the rest of his summer. Truly, it was going to be a wonderful summer.

Down below, Molly and the other adults were talking amongst themselves. "Where will she go after tonight?" Molly asked.

"Well…She's looking for a village." Lupin explained, "To practice her trade."

"Her…trade?"

"Potions, I believe." Lupin said. "She needs a wizard village, though. Not a muggle one. She'll be too obvious in a muggle village."

"Hogsmeade." Sirius said suddenly, making the others turn to him. "She'll live in Hogsmeade."

"Why not just go to Hogwarts?" Said Molly.

"Because she's not a student." Lupin explained, "Her training and schooling are finished; she was home schooled. Though I'm sure she'd excel at Hogwarts, she has no need to go. In her mind, she's a young adult that needs to start working. She'll be safest at Hogsmeade."

"And for the rest of the summer?" Sirius asked.

"The Burrow." Arthur said suddenly, causing everyone to turn to him. "She can stay with us at the Burrow."

"…Molly?" Lupin asked cautiously, "How do you feel about having eight mouths to feed?"

"Seven. Percy's gone."

"I think we should…" Molly said more to herself than to her husband, "She can make me more cleaning potion…Maybe she has one for gnomes…"

"Perfect!" Sirius said, "She'll go to the Burrow with you tomorrow. We'll escort them all! You're a gem, Molly."

So everyone turned in for the night. Tomorrow they would learn more about this Sophie girl, her cat Pitch, and the crazy potions she was able to make. Tomorrow would also be the start of a proper summer vacation for Harry and the others. Tomorrow, the story would unfold.

* * *

New story! :3 Sophie's 'magic' is inspired by Kiki's Delivery Service, and her cat Pitch is pretty much like Jiji. I didn't want to do a cross over though; just kinda, you know, stole the concept...Both Harry Potter and Kiki's Delivery Service are owned by their respective creaters. I just wanted to see what it would be like having these two worlds collide. Hope you enjoyed it! Please tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Harry awoke the next morning with Ron grunting and rolling out of his bed. Because of the season, and the fact that they were up much later than she preferred, Molly had allowed the children to sleep in. Pulling himself up, he glanced at Ron, passed on a tired smile, and started to dress himself. Ron followed suit, though grudgingly. Once complete, they walked out of their room together to see Hermione walking down the stairs onto their landing. When she saw them, she rushed over, "She levitates!"

Harry gave Hermione a disbelieving look, "…What?"

"She floats. When she sleeps, she floats." Hermione said, "I woke up at three last night because of a boggort in the closet, and there she was, floating two feet in the air!"

Ron scoffed, "You're just mad, that's all."

"Where is she, anyway?" Harry asked, while looking around Hermione. Sophie wasn't there.

"I heard her get up promptly at five." Hermione said. So they started to descend the stairs into the kitchen. Ron and Hermione were talking about the ghoul in the closet of her room, but Harry was looking into the doorways of the house. He had been here before, but it always interested him. This Dark house, this ancient house of Black, something he was a part of. He knew he could never become bored within it's walls. While looking into the doorway of the Drawing room, Harry stopped, and tugged Ron's shirt back so that his friends would look also. Hermione huffed when she was stopped and looked through the doorway as well. There was a table set up in the middle of the floor of the now clean Drawing Room. On top of this table, there was a cauldron, but instead more than two dozen vials and beakers sprawled out over the table. Glass vials, beakers, flasks, graduated cylinders, and test tubes were what Harry could see, along with a test tube support, some scales much like he's seen, a burner, pipits, and a large clamp that was settled over the burner, boiling some blue liquid that Harry didn't know of. Sophie was standing before all this, bustling around her table, brewing three things at the same time, and taking out herbs upon herbs to place into little dishes, weighing them so, and grinding. She looked up from her work and said in a cheery voice, "Good morning!"

"…Hi." Ron said dully. "What are you doing?"

Sophie stopped and pointed to one beaker that was brewing, "Wolfsbane, for Lupin…" She pointed to another, "A potion for dulling pain for Snape, and…" She glanced at the third one, and tapped the glass of the beaker gently, "This one is an experiment to get rid of Doxys all in one go." She smiled at them when she was finished, "Mrs. Weasley said she's had breakfast for you. You might have to warm it up, however."

"…This looks like a science experiment!" Ron said.

"It is a science." Sophie said, almost offended, "Potion making is the science of magic…"

"Indeed, Weasley." Came Snape's monotone voice from behind the trio, "You'll remember that this year in class."

"Oh." Harry said tartly, "I thought Sophie was going to teach it." And the three whisked away before Snape could do anything about Harry's comment; he would punish them in any way possible during the school year.

But something nagged at Harry. Why did Snape need a pain dulling potion? Lupin's, he could understand. The potion for the Doxys as well. But Snape? After lunch, Molly hopped up from where she was and said, "The potion should be finished, right Sophie?"

"Should be!" She said, getting up herself, "Let's go try it out."

Everyone, from Harry and the other children, to Sirius, Lupin, Tonks and Moody, to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and even Snape came to watch what the outcome could be for Sophie's magical 'experiment.' Sophie, herself, looked quite nervous as she walked over to the beaker and looked inside. Heaving a deep breath, she violently blew into the blue liquid, and it turned red and smoke started to spill over the edges. Ron mumbled something about never having to do that in potion class before, and Snape glared at him for a moment before moving his attention to the girl in front of him. "Where are the Doxys?"

Sophie asked Molly."Behind the tapestry, dear." Molly said.

Sophie nodded and pulled out what looked like a little ball from a box to her left. Popping it open, she started to pour the concoction inside it. "You should probably leave the room." Sophie said sternly, as she herself started to back away from the wall. Everyone backed out, Sophie being the last one standing alone in the room. She then tossed the ball into the air, and rushed out, slamming the door behind her.

Two things happened at the same time. There was a loud POOF from behind the door, and behind Harry a ear wrenching scream emitted the painting of Sirius's mother. Everyone ducked for either one of these reasons. Lupin and Sirius rushed up to start pulling the curtains together, but they found that it was difficult. Everyone backed away from the painting but Sophie, who was staring at it with worry. When everything was quiet, she said softly, "…What is that?"

"The portrait of my mother…She's not happy with us here." Sirius explained.

"..Paintings talk?"

"That doesn't happen where you're from?" Lupin asked now, glancing at his friends.

"Well..no." Sophie said. She looked around at the gawked faces, and realize that, truly, her magic was different to theirs.

"Well, we're even then." Arthur said with a smile, "Your cat talks; our paintings talk." And Sophie smiled at this.

"Think you have a potion to shut her up?" Sirius said bitterly, glaring at the now silent painting.

"No." Sophie said, "But I do have something." She reached into her little purse that Harry had learned held everything she needed to make a potion. She pulled out a little aluminum tube that looked to Harry like miniture toothpaste. Walking up to the curtain, she applied the paste to the ends, and then pressed them together, holding each bit for thirty seconds. It took her a while, but she didn't mind, because it gave her something to do until the Drawing room aired out. When she finished, she tugged the curtains gently. Then harder. And harder. Then she silent instructed Sirius to take one side, and Lupin to take another. And they even pulled.

"Brilliant!" Arthur said, "Your potions are amazaing!" Harry and Hermione looked at each other and smiled.

Sophie was smiling as well. Between a soft giggle, she said, "It wasn't a potion. It was superglue. A muggle invention."

Arthur was in awe, and asked to see the superglue. After some fussing over it, he ended up gluing his finger to his forehead, much to the amusement of Fred and George, who 'offered' to help. After dinner, when the sun started to set and Arthur's head started to heal, Moody announced that it was time for everyone to head to the Burrow. "Grab yer things." He grunted. "Don't forget anything."

The children were sent upstairs by the adults to gather their things together and meet back down on the ground floor in ten minutes. Sophie was the first, and with no surprise to Harry, her bag was tied to her broom, her cat actually inside one of the pockets now, and the broom was floating a couple of feet in the air, waiting for its master to climb upon it. Ron walked up to her, "Can you teach me how to do that?"

She smiled, "You have to learn how to do it yourself. You'll get it, though. You're smart."

"Everyone ready?" Asked Moody, while his Mad-Eye glanced around through the doors of the house. It was black outside now, cool, and Harry was excited to just fly. Everyone hustled out of the house and stood in the middle of the road. The guard already had Harry surrounded, much to his distaste, and Molly and the twins were surrounding Ginny, Ron and Hermione. Sophie was the only one unprotected.

Harry leaned over to Arthur, "Isn't anyone going to protect Sophie?"

Arthur shrugged, "We're supposed to focus on you." But this didn't suit Harry. He stared at her while she mounted her broom and floated in the air, waiting for Moody to instruct the take off. She was his age, and the Order didn't seen her fit to protect? Arthur seemed to have read his mind, for he said, "I'm keeping an eye on her, Harry. Just focus on flying safely."

"Alright." Moody hissed out to the small crowd, "Harry, you only go after Tonks. Go."

They all whooshed into the air. Well, almost all. Sophie seemed to have floated up gracefully and calmly; this unnerved both Hermione and Ginny. Once in the air, Pitch the black cat, reached down to turn on her small radio. "It seems we're having a clear night tonight, good for flyin'. Got news of Sophie Frey is somewhere near London for her coming-of-age training. If you're listening Sophie, and we know you are, fly safe, Mrs. Jones wants her broom back! Next up, we have great hits from the 70's and 80's, grooving to believing, everyone."

"A magical radio station?" Arthur asked.

Sophie shook her head, "Muggle. We're the only witches in our town."

Harry glanced over at Sophie even though he was supposed to be following Tonks. Her legs were on one side now, bended at the knee. She was smiling blissfully, the radio playing some tune that he didn't mind, and Pitch curled up on her lap. She looked like she was born on a broom. "Talented, eh?" Tonks said, "Graceful on that broom." And Harry nodded.

Flying to the Burrow from London was a lengthy flight, mainly because of the cold, and that Moody kept turned their direction back and forth. So they had been flying for close to an hour when Harry saw something out of the corner of his eye, and heard Moody yell, "Harry, follow Tonks!"

It all happened so quickly, all at the same time, but Harry caught every single detail. Three Death Eaters flew into their vision, causing Moody to command for Harry to follow Tonks, who started to plummet to the earth before them. One Death Eater followed, but was followed by Lupin, who started to shoot curses at him. The other Death Eater aimed for Hermione and Ron, in which Molly and the twins defended. But where was the third Death Eater? Harry looked around him, even though Tonks told him not to. The third and final Death Eater, with a large silver mask upon his face, was aiming straight for Sophie. Sophie, though, hadn't noticed, she was too focused on Ron and Hermione. "Sophie!" Harry yelled, "Sophie! Behind you!" Harry looked behind himself and noticed that his Death Eater was dueling with Tonks. Pulling out his wand, he rushed over in front of Sophie and threw a curse to the cloaked offender. The offender retaliated, and Harry yelled, "Stupefy!" The Death Eater fell off his broom and started to fall to the earth below. Harry reached his arm around Sophie's waist, pulled her onto his broom, and grabbed Pitch. He placed the cat on his shoulder, pulled her broom, that was in mid flight, from his side and tied it to his back. Putting his hands on the wood in front of Sophie, he muttered, "Don't move." And started to plummet to the earth once more, a Death Eater behind him.

"Harry!" Moody yelled, "Harry! What are you doing! Don't be a hero!"

But Harry ignored him. He pushed Sophie in front of him so that she was leaning aerodynamically forward, then leaned forward himself and started to weave his broom, trying to shake the Death Eater. All the while, sometimes flicking his wand behind him and either yelling the Disarming Spell or the Stunning Spell. Finally, after many failed attempts, he stunned his opponent. Looking around himself, he noticed that Lupin had gotten rid of the final Death Eater. All was safe, they were gone. Harry looked down at Sophie. She was pressed against the handle of Harry's broom, her eyes closed, her mouth completely shut; she was shaking. "Hey…" Harry said gently, "Hey…You alright?" But all he got for an answer was a whimper.

"Harry, descend, now!" Moody screeched. Sure enough, they were right over Ottery St. Catchpole.

Harry snaked his arm around Sophie's waist once more, and started to let gravity take its course, and he began to become closer to the earth. He caught sight of the large awkward Weasley home, and aimed for it. He landed softly on the ground and pulled Sophie along with him as he dismounted. She was stiff, ridged even. "Molly, will you take her?" Molly squeaked and rushed over, taking Sophie by the hand and starting to lead her away. Harry took Pitch off his shoulder and said, "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it…" Pitched muttered. His fur was on end, his eyes were wide and his ears were completely straight. He walked along Harry's arm and onto Molly's own shoulder.

Once the woman were inside, Harry looked above him. Moody, Lupin, Tonks and Arthur were still flying in the air; most likely late because they were checking on who the Death Eaters were. Harry was about to ask, but Lupin rushed over and pulled him by the scruff of the neck, "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?"

"W-What?" Harry yelled back.

Sirius finally made it on his own broom. He didn't look happy either. He also walked over and glared at his godson, "You could have been killed, Harry! Don't you realize that!"

"You're a stupid little git, Harry." Moody snarled loudly.

"What?" Harry yelled, "Why am I in trouble! I saved her!"

"That wasn't your responsibility, Harry." Sirius said sternly, "Your responsibility was to stay safe."

"You're rather have Sophie get attacked by a Death Eater? She doesn't even have a wand!"

"THAT'S not your problem!" Lupin yelled, "We have worked all summer to keep you safe, and the moment you get the chance, you put your life in danger! How would your parents feel if they knew that their sacrifice and our work was for nothing?"

"THEY WOULD BE PROUD!" Harry screamed back, "PROUD THAT I WASN'T SELFISH!"

"ARTHUR WAS HER GUARD, HARRY!"

"ARTHUR WENT TO DEFEND HIS WIFE, LUPIN!"

"Just because you think a girl's cute doesn't mean you have to impress her, James!" Sirius yelled.

All the men stopped and stared at Sirius. Sirius also seemed to know what he said, for he blinked back at Harry with shock. Harry said softly, "My father…would have done that?"

Sirius let out a long and shaking breath, "Yes. Yes he would have…"

"BUT. HE'S. NOT. JAMES." Came Molly's voice from behind Harry. Tears were streaming down her own face, she looked angrier than ever, and she grabbed Harry by the arm and started to lead him back to the Burrow.

Harry shook Molly off and glared at his godfather, his father's other friend, and Moody, "Had I not been there, Sophie would be dead."

"Much better her than you, Potter." Moody said coolly.

Harry's mouth was tight, Molly's grip on his arm was just as tight. Harry felt the angered heat rise to his forehead and cheeks, and shaking off Molly for the second time, he stomped into the Burrow, up the stairs, and ripped open Ron's bedroom. Hermione, Ron, the twins, and Ginny were all sitting on Ron's floor, looking just as unhappy as Harry did. "I can't believe them." He growled out to his friend, "They were going to just let her die!"

"Harry…" Hermione said softly.

"Shut up. Do you agree with them, then? Agree that she should have died? That she was the perfect distraction!" Harry was pacing along the floor.

"Harry, please…"

"Where is she?"

"What?"

"Sophie!" Harry yelled, as though Hermione's innocent angered him as much as Moody's comment.

"In…Bill's room." Ron answered, for Hermione had looked away, holding back her tears. "Mum put her to bed."

Harry slammed the door behind him as he stalked up another flight of stairs. But before he did, he stopped on the landing. Lupin, Sirius and Molly were watching him from the kitchen below. He snarled at them and continued up. Stalking up to Bill's door, he pushed it open violently, stepped inside, and slammed the door shut. But the sight before him completely deflated any anger he had.

Sophie had been sitting on Bill's bed, but stood up upon seeing Harry enter the room. Her face was wet just like Molly's had been, her eyes were red and puffy, and Harry could tell she was stressed, for her hair was standing up on end just like Pitch's. When she saw that it was Harry, her lip trembled, and she ran over, wrapped her arms around his neck, buried her face into his chest, and started to cry. Harry pulled her against him tightly and buried his head in her hair. "The…most…" She hiccupped out, "terrifying…"

"I know." Harry whispered back gently. He rubbed her back affectionately and rocked her gently. Then he realized something. What was he doing? He met her last night. He had known her for only 24 hours. And already he was willing to give his life to save her, and not only that, but consol her when she cried? Did he really help her because he thought she was cute? He didn't even know he thought she was cute until a few moments ago…

Sophie pulled away and started to wipe her eyes. "B-back home…" She said softly, "Back home. This would never happen. No one would attacked another of their kind. Witches stick together…It's peaceful. But here…Here..It's horrible…"

"Tomorrow." Harry said gently, "Meet me downstairs at 6am. I'm going to teach you how to duel. If you're going to be in this country, in a middle of a war, you're going to learn how to use a wand. Understand?"

Sophie smiled at him and nodded. Harry patted her on the shoulder, for some weird reason, and went over to run his fingers through Pitch's fur. "You have a good cat, here, you know."

Sophie nodded, "He's wonderful, yes."

Pitch only purred in response. When Harry was finished, he straightened, and started to head for the door, "See you at six."

"At six." Sophie nodded. Harry opened Bill's door and closed it gently behind him.

When he turned around, harry was greeted by an Extendable Ear. Talking the he, he said, "GOOD NIGHT FRED AND GEORGE." Right inside it. He heard a series of painful 'ow! Harry!' from above him. Walking to Ron's room, he opened the door a lot softer than he had the first time, and saw Ron sitting on his bed, his pajamas on, reading a book. Upon seeing Harry, he said, "Feeling better, mate?"

"I should say sorry to Hermione..."

"She'll be fine until tomorrow." Ron said, "We need to sleep. You too, for your date tomorrow."

Harry gave him quite the look, "How do you know about tomorrow?"

"I knew you'd ask her if you could teach her how to use a wand." Ron said simply, and turning on his side, his back to his friend, he went to sleep. Harry undressed, crawled into bed, and feel into a deep dreamless sleep.

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Another chapter down! Hope you're liking it!


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Harry awoke with a start at 5:30am. He had heard a noise outside his door. Lightly jumping out of his bed, putting on his pants and shirt, he grabbed his wand and slowly opened the door. Molly was walking down the hallway already, fluffing various things along the way, intending to start breakfast. Harry had forgotten how early she woke. Sliding his body out of Ron's room, he followed her down to the kitchen. Molly jumped when she saw her son's friend standing behind her, but calmed herself. "Harry…"

"Listen…sorry…" Harry mumbled out, "About..last night."

Molly's aged face brightened slightly, "It's alright. You saved her. You were doing your duty as a man." She came over and kissed the top of his head, ruffling his hair gently, "Now what are you doing up this early?"

"I'm going to teach Sophie how to duel." Harry said sternly.

Molly's eyebrows raised, "Now…Harry…"

"Please don't start." Harry's temper had already extinguished from last night, but he knew that Molly knew it could easily flare up again, "Just…could you be the one adult in this house that doesn't treat me like I'm five?"

Molly sighed. Deep down, she knew he was right. "Then you practice on the property, and be back at exactly seven. No later, or we'll go out looking for you. Understand?"

"Yes. Thanks Mrs. Weasley." Harry said, and he sat down at the table in front of her. She handed him a small plate of toast to nibble on before Sophie came down. He didn't have to wait long, though. For Sophie came down at six promptly and smiled at the two of them.

"Morning." She said softly. Harry noticed how subdued she was since her first encounter with the wizards. This attack really took a lot out of her.

"Good morning, dear." Molly said, "Grab some toast before you go out."

"Do you mind if Pitch sticks with you while we practice? I don't want anything to hit him…"

Pitch jumped from his master's shoulder and onto Molly counter gingerly, he bowed and said, "Good morning." kindly. Molly smiled and started to pet the cat, nodding fervently. "Come on, then." Harry said, picking up a piece of toast to take along, "We better get started." And Sophie obediently followed him outside. "Alright.." Harry mumbled as he led her to the apple orchard the Weasley's owned, "We're going to start you off on Disarming spells. It's the easiest." He turned around and squared her shoulders with his, "Repeat after me: Expelliarmus."

"Ecpelly-arm-oose."

Harry chucked deeply and said, "No. ex-PELL-ee-are-mus."

Sophie pused her lips together, "ex-PELLY-armmus…"

Harry leaned closer to her face, mainly because he wanted to be closer to her, but also because he needed her to hear every single syllable, "ex-PELL…"

"ex-PELL"

"ee-are-mus."

"ee-are-mus"

"ex-PELL-are-mus."

"ex-PELL-are-mus."

Harry smiled, "Expelliarmus."

Sophie took a deep breath, and said quickly and with somewhat authority, "Expelliarmus!"

Harry nodded, "Alright, good, now watch how I move my wand." He pointed it straight to an object, for instance, the tree before them. "See how intentional I am? My wand knows exactly where I want the spell cast. Now you try." He handed her the wand, and she pointed it straight to the tree. "Meaner…" Harry said gently, watching her. She tried again. "A little more purpose. You really want to disarm that tree." Sophie tried again, and finally Harry was satisfied. "Perfect. Alright, take the wand and I'll…" He looked around the floor and picked up a stick, then stood away from her, pointing the stick like he was about to attack her, "Alright. Disarm me, Sophie!"

"Expelli-opps!" Sophie accidentally threw the wand at Harry.

Harry started to laugh at her. "You're supposed to disarm _me_ not you!" He went over to where the wand was sticking out of the ground, and walked back to her, "Try again."

Sophie smiled at him, too her stance, and yelled, "Expelliarmus!" at Harry. The stick flew out of his hand.

"Brilliant!" Harry yelled, bounding to her, "Perfect! It took two years at Hogwarts for me to do it, and you did it perfectly! Wonderful!"

Sophie was laughing and bounding around the field, smiling, "I did it! I actually did it! I used a wand!"

And then she stopped suddenly, horror stricken. "I used a wand…"

"Yes! It was amazing too!" Harry said, shaking her shoulder for congratulations. But when she didn't move or say anything, let alone something positive, he stopped himself and stared at her, "What's the matter?"

"I…used a wand…"

"Yes. You did." Harry said, confused.

"We've never used violence…" Sophie whispered, "I was raised to never use violence."

"Well, you're not, really. The Disarming Spell won't hurt anyone.."

"I can't learn anymore." Sophie said, "I'll know the spell we just learned, but I won't learn anymore."

"We'll get you a wand when we go to London…" Harry mumbled, thinking more to himself than to Sophie.

"Why? I can't borrow yours?"

Harry smiled at her, amused, "I won't be with you every single day. I'll be at Hogwarts for school. You're going to need your own wand to defend yourself."

Sophie nodded, but she didn't look happy. "Your kind of magic is so…"

"Violent, I know." Harry said, "But for now, we just need to make sure you can survive with our magic. Let's give it another go, shall we?"

So they spent the last part of the hour having Sophie disarm Harry. She shot a stick, a rock, and some other objects, all off which impressed Harry quite a bit. When seven approached, Harry and Sophie started heading back to the Burrow. "It's really beautiful here, you know!" Sophie said, a hop in her step, a smile on her face, and Harry couldn't stop watching her.

"Yeah. I love it here. I wish I could have spent every summer vacation here. I normally spend my time with my aunt and uncle."

"And you don't like them?"

"Not much. Not much at all." Harry said, "They hate magic. They hate everything that involves magic. They even hate me."

Sophie gave him a look of disbelief, "Now who could hate you?"

Harry appreciated this; more than he did when he heard it from Hermione or Ron or Molly. He smiled and said, "You'd be surprised."

By lunch time, the rest of the Order had woken up, gotten back from their post, or overall wondered into the property of the Burrow. Molly was laying out meals for everyone and talking with her husband, Arthur, about Harry teaching Sophie how to disarm someone. This caught the attention of Lupin and Sirius, who were fairly impressed, but didn't say so. Harry wasn't even looking at them, let alone speaking to them. He had situated himself in the corner of the room with Ron, Hermione and Sophie, and spent most of his day learning about some potions Sophie knew how to do. She had a book, one she wrote herself, full of these potions, and was going through them. Fred and George showed vague interest, but not enough to sit with Harry and the rest for the entire day; they had products to make themselves.

So when Lupin leaned over to Sophie, intending to speak with her, Harry wasn't happy. In fact, he was enraged. How dare he speak to someone whom he didn't care whether or not they lived? Harry scooted closer to Sophie and stretched his arm out, pretending to have it draped over his and Sophie's chair casually, but Ron and Hermione knew it was protectively. Lupin noticed this too, for he glanced at Harry nervously before saying, "Sophie, we were discussing your…situation last night after you children went to bed." Harry's glare became icy, "And we thought you would do well in a village called Hogsmeade. It's an all wizard village-"

"What?" Sophie said softly, "But how will I learn?"

"Ah, well, we know you're banking on being around muggles, but you see, in the state of England at the moment, we feel it wouldn't be wise for you to be around muggles…"

"You don't trust her?" Harry bit out.

"Harry, this doesn't concern you." Lupin said sternly, "This is Sophie's choice."

"And Sophie chooses to be around muggles." Harry retorted.

"Harry, she's not your responsibility. We've already had this argument. Do you want to rekindle it right in front of her, now?"

Sirius had abandoned his conversation with Arthur to walk over to his godson. He had been standing there, hovering over the three, since Lupin first struck up with Sophie. He chose this point to say, "Harry…We can keep her safe."

"You didn't seem keen to keeping her safe last night." Harry shot back, "You'd rather her get killed before I did. You're rather ignore her."

"That was different." Lupin said, "And plus, Moody-"

"And you went along with it!" Harry yelled, causing the entire room to become silent. Everyone's eyes were on Harry now, all wide, shocked, and somewhat confused about why Harry was raising his voice once again. Since when had he earned such a temper? However, had anyone bothered to look at Sophie, they would see that she wasn't looking at Harry, but instead looking at the table before her, her cheeks slightly flushed and her normally soft lips pulled tight over her jaw line.

"Harry! This isn't the time to fight for your girl!" Sirius yelled, "She can defend herself!"

"I had to teach her the Disarming Spell today! How can she defend herself when she doesn't even have a wand?"

Molly took the opportunity to grab Sophie by the arm and rip her from her seat next to Harry, pulling the shaking girl close to her and wrapping a defensive arm around her shoulders, whispering comforting words in the young girl's ear. Finally, when she saw Harry stand up, Lupin and Sirius too, she said softly, "Come on. Let's go for a walk with Hermione and Ginny, hmm?" She poked Hermione and her daughter roughly, indicating it was time to go.

When the four woman walked out of the house and Molly slammed the door to indicate her frustration, Sophie finally spoke, "…why?"

"He likes you, obviously." Hermione said sternly, walking down the stairs onto the yard in front of the house. Molly and Ginny followed suit. "He's protective of you. It bothers him how Lupin and Sirius are treating you."

"W-well, they've treated me just fine." Sophie said.

"Not to Harry." Ginny explained, "He's a hero when it comes to the helpless. During the Triwizard Tournament, he saved Fleur's younger sister when he didn't have to."

Sophie and the others walked in silence for a while, until Sophie asked, "This time a week ago, I wouldn't have guessed in a million years that I'd end up in England, with violent witches and wizards…"

"It's weird, yes." Molly said wisely, "Ending up where you thought you never would. But Sophie, you're a real ray of sunshine, really, and we like you here. Don't we girls?" Hermione and Ginny nodded in agreement, so Molly continued, "Something about you had touched us all, especially Harry. And when Harry's passionate about something, he's not likely to give it up without a fight."

"I just hope I don't cause too much drama…" Sophie said softly.

Molly shook her head, but Ginny was the one who replied, "Trust me, Harry is the one causing drama."

Molly had kindly brought a basket full of lunch for the girls and they all settled themselves under a large willow tree on the outskirts of the Weasley property. Each took a little sandwich and nibbled on it gingerly while Hermione filled Sophie in on the fashion of the wizarding world. Sophie did the same in her fashion, and they learned that when a young witch leaves home to practice their trade, they wear a traditional black dress, but other than that, Sophie's clothes were fairly muggle.

When lunch was finished, Molly strained her ears to the west where the Burrow was, "I think it's alright to head back…" she said to the other girls. So they all got up and walked back to the burrow.

"What's Hogsmeade like?" Sophie asked on the way back.

"It's a wizard village next to Hogwarts." Hermione explained, "If you go there for the year, we'll come visit you when we can." Hermione said brightly, "Harry would love that."

"And what does Hogsmeade offer?"

"Well…They have plenty of stores…" Ginny said, "Fred and George really like Zonko's…"

"Let's just worry about the summer at the moment, girls." Molly said gently. They opened the door to the Burrow and Molly was the first one to stick her head in. The only people that were sitting in the kitchen was Ron, Harry and the twins. "Where's everyone else?"

"Left." Ron said, "Harry told them to leave."

"What happened?" Hermione said as she walked into the house after Molly, Ginny after her, and finally Sophie, who smiled sadly at Harry from behind the others.

"They fought for a good thirty minutes." Ron said, glancing at Harry.

"Then dad had his say." Fred said.

"And he said that it wasn't fair to Sophie to fight over her all the time." George contributed.

"So Harry yelled at all of them." Ron said.

"Even Lupin and Sirius." Fred said.

"And they left." George finished.

"Good riddance." Harry mumbled.

"Why don't we get ready for dinner?" Molly said, even though there would be another three hours before dinner would actually be served. In reality, she just wanted to change the subject.

"Some summer." Ron said more to himself than to his friends.

"Hey!" Fred and George sat in unison.

"We have a great idea. Why don't we go swimming tomorrow? There's a pond just beyond the orchard." Fred said, causing the other twin to nod at his mother.

"Yeah!" Ginny said, "We'll have a picnic tomorrow!"

Even Harry smiled at his friends. It was getting hot outside, the type of heat that would be perfect for swimming. And spending the day with his friends instead of doing business with the Order would be refreshing to him. Upon seeing the smile and nod from Harry, it was settled, and Molly would make them something to eat tomorrow to take along.

For the time being, she rushed everyone to do chores around the house, Sophie peeled potatoes, Ron and Harry went to de-gnome the garden, and Hermione and Ginny went to clean windows. Dinner that night was fairly calm and quiet; mainly because Lupin and Sirius were back in London and not floating around The Burrow, scolding Harry. Harry had made sure to stick close to Sophie for most of the day, causing her to blush deeply whenever he smiled at her. After so, Molly sent everyone to bed, to wait the next day when they'd be lounging around in the sunshine.

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Another chapter down. :3 Hope you're liking it!


	4. Chapter 4

By ten the next morning, Molly had a whole lunch planned and made for her children and their friends, Arthur was off doing work, and Lupin and Sirius were still gone, much to Harry's pleasure. He loved them both; they were his family, one of the closest people he'd ever had, but as of recently they had been pushing Harry's temper. He was just glad that he was finally going to have a calm day with no drama.

Molly had mentioned, however, that Sirius, Moody, Tonks and Lupin would be arriving by eleven for lunch, which is why Harry rushed everyone out the door by 10:30 into the sunshine and warmth. As a precaution, Molly insisted they take their brooms and wands and common clothes, the twins led the way, and it took a good hour for the entire group to reach the small waterhole.

It was surrounded by trees and completely hidden from not only the Burrow, but from the rest of the small village around them. Completely covered by shade, only a few stray bands of light could penetrate the small oasis. Fred and George bragged about how they found it and how long they'd known about it, but Ginny made sure to whisper to Harry and say that Molly had shown them when they were little.

The girls separated from the boys to hid behind a couple of trees to dress down to their swimsuits. Fred snorted and just ripped his own tshirt off Hulkishly, George followed, roaring. Harry and Ron decided it would be best to take their own shirts off normally, as not to raise too much attention to themselves. Harry because of Sophie, but he could tell that Ron had feelings for Hermione; the way he kept glancing into the trees and waiting to see Hermione. Fred approached him and said, "Don't get your hopes up. All of the girls have to wear a one-piece. Mum said so this morning."

"I-I wasn't! Shut up!" Ron's ears were bright red.

The girls emerged and just like Fred said, all were wearing proper swimsuits. But Harry didn't mind, for Sophie had a habit of wearing the same loose fitting black robes that her mother made her to wear on her first couple of months in a new country; it was traditional. Seeing her wear something that hugged her curves was enough for him. Ron was also just find with what Hermione was wearing, for his ears were red for a whole other reason.

Fred and George were the first to jump, Ginny on their heels, and one by one the teens jumped into the waterhole. Fred suggested a game of Marco Polo, made Ron it, and they played the game with the twins spinning the water around Ron with their wands, making him think someone was whooshing by him. This was highly amusing for everyone else; Harry especially liked watching Sophie cover her mouth with polite laughter.

When finished with that game, Ron caught Ginny, they settled themselves around the small pool, the girls splashing each other and Fred and George pulling Ron into the water by his feet. Harry loved this, and out of glee, dived into the water and sat still, weightless, in silence. It was when he opened his eyes and noticed that Sophie was underwater as well, that he smiled more broadly. She smiled at him and waved good naturedly. Harry rushed to her, and with his wand, flicked it gently around Sophie's mouth. He was sure he heard her squeak, for a small bubble of air covered her mouth and nose, and she smiled with her teeth, for she was able to breath underwater. Harry did the Bubble-Head charm upon himself, and pulled himself down to the ground of the water, keeping down with the help of holding onto a nearby rock. He pulled her down by her hand and she settled next to him, completely in awe of what she was able to do. Hermione popped her head into the water, noticed Harry and Sophie, smiled, popped her head above the service, and then reappeared again with the same bubble around her mouth and nose. Then Ron came to join then. And finally the twins and Ginny. They spent about an hour underwater, walking along the bottom, floating from one end of the pool to the other, and chasing each other.

This was Harry's favorite part of the day. For two reasons; One, he was able to impress Sophie and that was always a nice thing. And two, since he weighed more, he constantly had his arm around her waist, keeping her under water, and she clearly didn't mind. She was so small in his arms, so fragile, and his favorite thing was that when he approached her suddenly, wrapped an arm around her, she beamed at him.

It was not until something above them made the sky completely black that Harry rushed to the service. When his head came out of the water, his bubble burst around his mouth, but his vision was not impaired. Death Eaters were flying overhead. Had they seen him and the others? Did they know that the one they were fighting against was swimming in a waterhole right below them? Obviously not, because they kept flying. Twords the Burrow.

The Burrow.

Harry dived below the water and pointed to Ron, then pointed up to the surface. In a panic, he grabbed Sophie roughly, making her bubble pop, and pulled her to the surface. She took a gasp of breath, "Wha-" But Harry covered her mouth and pointed up at the sky. The last of the Death Eaters was zooming above them. The rest of the group had emerged as well, and Hermione and Ron were already swimming to the shore.

Harry didn't bother. Pointing his wand at his broom, he said, "Accio Firebolt!" And the broom zoomed over the water and waited for him to board. "Go on." He said to Sophie, pushing her up above his head and allowing her to climb on. Hermione took this as a good idea because she did the same for her broom, and everyone followed suit. Once Harry climbed on behind Sophie, he summoned one of the towels and wrapped her up in it, before flying off into the sky. Ron and Hermione at his side. They obviously didn't have to fly as long as they had to walk, for they were approaching the Burrow within five minutes on the Firebolt.

The scene before him wasn't at all inviting. Molly and Arthur were out in the front lawn, fighting what looked like five Death Eaters. Not only were they extremely out numbered, but it looked like they were ill prepared; both of them looked like they hadn't seen the Death Eaters coming.

Ron was a lot more worried than Harry, because, with Hermione on his broom with him, he zoomed past Harry and landed clumsily on the ground and began to fight alongside his parents. Harry landed, but stopped, and turned to Sophie, "Get inside with Ginny." Sophie whimpered at him as Fred took her by the arm and dragged her away.

Harry went to fight next to Ron. The Death Eaters were the same as the night he met Sophie, with two new ones that were of different shape. Lupin was standing next to Harry, and yelled, "Where's your girl, Harry?"

"Inside." Harry grunted, "Whose.."

"The Carrows." Lupin said, while he threw a curse to the closest Death Eater, "They're the ones in charge right now."

One of the Death Eaters, a large burly fat one, cast a spell to Harry, which he dodged. Harry only turned his attention away from his opponant when he heard a loud, "SOPHIE! NO!" Harry turned around and saw that Sophie was running through the house, with a bottle in her hand. She was dodging Ginny and Hermione, but actually got to the door and escaped the little rundown house. When she exited the door, she almost past by Harry, but he grabbed her around the waist, only violently, unlike in the pool, and yanked her back, "WHAT are you doing? "

"J-Just…please? Let me through!" She was struggling against him.

"HARRY! Take her INSIDE!" Came Sirius' voice.

"Please." She whispered desperately, "I can fix this. Before they light the house on fire…Please…"

Harry stared at her, and then the bottle in her hands, and then to her eyes. For the first time, he realized the deep color in them. While his eyes were bright green, hers was, "You have…really pretty blue eyes…" He whispered. Sophie smiled at him, Harry smiled back. For some reason, he wanted to do the exact opposite of what Lupin was screaming in his ear. He felt something deep down. Deeper than the blue in Sophie's eyes. Somewhere inside him, Harry felt that whatever was in that bottle of Sophie's, it would help. "What do you have to do?"

"Surround the house with a line of this potion."

Harry pulled the Firebolt close to him and whispered, "Get on." Harry was about to show her his Quidditch technique. Sophie smiled and hopped gaped at the two, Sirius was enraged, and Moody attempted to come over and pull Harry to the ground, but Harry was too fast, and the only thing they could do was make sure no Death Eater go to close to the young couple.

"Stupid…git.." Moody snarled, while throwing another curse to one of the Carrows.

Harry flew straight into the air and started with the property behind the house, "Alright…Go!"

Sophie leaned over to the right side of his broom and started to pour the liquid onto the ground while Harry flew on the outside of the Burrow's property. "It needs to be a continuous circle around the property! Don't break the circle!" Harry nodded and continued to zoom. Looking below him, he saw that she was dropping a blood red liquid onto the ground below. When it hit solid ground, it would glow slightly, and become invisible once again. When they got to the front of the house, where everyone was fighting, Harry gripped her waist tighter and swooped down close to the ground. It wasn't a perfect circle, more of an oval, but it was doing the trick. Harry had to dodge at least three curses, four different Death Eaters and had to even dodge Moody, before finally they were to the side of the house again. "Just a little..bit..more…" Sophie whispered.

Harry was too busy watching the liquid hit the ground that he didn't notice when a Death Eater swooped close and knocked Sophie out of his grip. She screamed, Harry yelled, but it was no use. All he could do now was somehow get the Death Eater away from Sophie. But it didn't. It seemed to have found more interest in the young interest of Harry Potter than the boy himself, for the Death Eater turned and headed straight to Sophie. Harry tried to reach for his wand, but he didn't have it. It was in the hand that was gripping Sophie.

The hand that was knocked open. "Stupefy!" Came a voice behind him, and the Death Eater fell off their broom and flew into the cornfield over Sophie's head. Harry turned around and saw Lupin. Lupin smiled sadly, and Harry knew that he had forgiven him.

Sophie got up from where she was laying and started to run to finish the circle, a limp in her stride and there was some blood all over her arm where her flesh hit the gravel. She only had a couple feet left, so it was only a matter of seconds when the entire scene unfolded in front of Harry. She finished the circle, and once the new potion his the old, a red barrier shot straight into the air, and the Death Eaters suddenly found themselves being thrown out of the circle and into the cornfield surrounding the Burrow property. The offenders tried to get back into the property, but found they couldn't. They couldn't break the seal or send a curse past it. The Burrow was safe. With screams of anger, they vanished. All was silent. Slowly, Lupin and Sirius straightened up from their attack positions and stared around them. The barrier had vanished but the trail of which the potion made was still glowing dully. Sophie smiled at Harry, whom was utterly impressed. Satisfied with herself, and feeling exhausted, Sophie collapsed on the ground and passed out.

"Sophie..." He whispered, "SOPHIE!" And Harry broke into a sprint run to the young woman laying on the ground. He grabbed her body and looked at her wounds. There was a large cut all over her body, and he knew why. Not only had the Death Eater had knocked her off his broom, they had also severly cut her side. Panicking, he pulled her closer and looked at Lupin and Sirius, who had ran over once they were sure that all was safe. "Safe..her..." Harry pleaded, "Please..."

"It'll be alright, Harry." Lupin said gently, "Take her inside." And Harry did so.

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Curse those Death Eaters! Hope you liked it! Please review! :3


	5. Chapter 5

Harry was pacing around the kitchen when Lupin and Sirius carried Sophie's lifeless form into the house. Harry was pacing in the hallway when Tonks and Moody were performing healing charms on Sophie's wounds. Harry was pacing in Ron's room when Molly was undressing Sophie and putting her in proper fresh clothing for the night. "HARRY!" Came Hermione's shrilling voice, "Stop pacing!"

Harry stopped and glared at his friend, "Really?" He challenged, "While she's up there in pain?"

"Tonks said she'd be okay…" Ron said softly.

"We don't know if she's okay!" Harry yelled, "We don't know how her body works with charms! We don't know how her head is! Did you see the gash on the side of her face?"

"Yes!" Hermione yelled.

The scene of Sophie laying on the ground, covered in blood, with her skin ripped off from the Death Eater attack obviously haunted Hermione and Ron in the same way as it did Harry. The only difference is that Harry allowed her to her on his broom and fly with him, and he allowed the Death Eater to knock her off when he wasn't looking where she was and if she was safe. In theory, or in Harry's theory, it was all his fault. He could have easily took the potion from her and made her stay in the house while he circled the property on his own. Why didn't he think of that a couple of hours ago?

"Harry…" Hermione said softly, placing her hand on his shoulder, "Really, she'll be alright. Tonks and Moody healed all her wounds. She'll be alright…"

Harry had to admit. His attitude in the past couple of days had been completely distasteful. He knew that his temper was wearing thin on the patience of his friends; he wouldn't have friends if he kept it up. So he took a large breath and let it out in a tired sigh, "…Let's hope…"

The teens were torn away from their conversation by a creak behind them, and Molly was standing at the door, looking at the three of them, "Harry, she's still out cold, but if you want to see her…" But Molly didn't have to finish, for Harry already brushed past her muttering a quick 'thanks.'

Lupin, Sirius, Tonks and Moody were lingering outside the door of Bill's room when Harry got to the top step of the landing and saw them. He stopped and knew that he needed to say something relatively civil. "Ermm..Thanks..for…taking care of her.."

Lupin and Tonks were the only ones that smiled, Sirius looked livid, and Moody, well, he never really looked happy to begin with, but Harry could still see a trace of annoyance across his etched face. He knew, from the looks of his godfather especially, that they also thought that the pain that Sophie endured tonight was unnecessary. Lupin was the first to speak, "No problem. Just take care of her next time."

Tonks giggled along with him, "Yeah. Since you're determined to be the only one that's allowed to touch her." Harry felt his face go red.

"Don't compliment him, Tonks." Sirius seethed, "We'll talk later, Harry." And he ushered the others out of the way and down the flight of stairs.

Harry felt fairly guilty, but at the moment, he just wanted to see Sophie. He opened the door softly and peeked his head inside. Ginny was inside, folding up a couple of clothes that Molly no doubt told her to fold. But upon seeing Harry, she smiled politely and said, "I'll fold these later."

"No, I'll do it. You can head to bed." Harry said, stepping in completely and holding the door open for her to wiggle through.

Bill's room was just like any other boy's room would be. Covered from head to foot in Quidditch posters, a couple of tanks of fish to the right, and clothes scooted to the corners of the room. There was a single lamp next to the bed that gave all the night throughout the room, and the window was open for the fresh air. Harry walked over and dimmed the lamp gently and slumped into the chair next to the bed, watching were bandages around her arms and neck, and scratches around her mouth where her face collided with the ground. Her beautiful brown hair was pushed to the side, dull, and lifeless, and Harry knew he would do anything to see her deep blue eyes once more. Harry also observed that she wasn't out cold like he had guessed, but simply sleeping, for her chest was rising and falling gently, and the corners of her peached lips were curled slightly. "At least you're relaxed…"

Harry sat there for hours; far longer than after the lamp went out and the rustlings of the house slowly died out to present nothing but complete silence. The only thing Harry could hear now was the soft breathing of the girl in the bed before him. And as much as he tried to resist it, sleep fell upon him. He was dreaming that he was underwater with Sophie once again, only this time, it wasn't in the waterhole outside the Weasley's property, but in the middle of the ocean, and there wasn't a bubble charm covering her face. She smiled at him, a light scar by her mouth, but he didn't care, she looked beautiful nevertheless. He felt her wrap her arms around his neck, felt her lips upon his, and how soft her skin was underwater. But then everything around him went black, and he watched in horror as something black grabbed her around the ankle and started to pull her deeper into the ocean. He couldn't reach her. He couldn't save her. If only he hadn't let her go swimming!Harry awoke with a cold sweat and a loud start and looked around the room. His scar was also searing with pain, something that hadn't happened since before he met Sophie. It was darker than it was when he dozed off, for the moon had changed its position. But Harry could make out two sapphire-like jewels staring up at him in the bed. "Sophie?" He whispered.

"Hmm?" Came her soft reply. She was awake.

"Did I wake you?" He whispered, leaning close so that he could see her face clearly.

"You yelped?" Sophie said, giving him a concerned look, "Are you alright?"

"Uh.." Harry leaned back on the chair and tried to avoid eye contact, but he knew he couldn't; he liked those eyes too much.

"You had a nightmare?" Sophie whispered.

"Sort of." Harry moved from his seat and sat down next to Sophie's laying form on the bed, reaching over to move hair out of her face, "How are you feeling?"

"I have a headache a little bit.." Sophie said.

"You would. You bumped your head pretty bad."

Sophie smiled and nodded, "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, you're the only one that got hurt." Harry said, "I'm sorry."

Sophie was in the middle of a little yawn when she said, "For what?"

"For putting you in danger like that." Harry said softly, "I could have done the potion myself and you could have stayed in the house."

"My potions don't work unless I activate them, Harry." Sophie said with a smile on her face, "Or else they could be stolen. Your only choice was to let me fly with you."

Harry smiled down at her, "Thank you, then."

Sophie let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes gently, "So..tired.."

Harry nodded, "Mrs. Weasley gave you a sleeping potion." He reached over to fluff her pillows and then to snug her blankets closer to her, "You should sleep." But when Harry looked down at Sophie again, her eyes were closed and she had drifted off. He smiled and reached for her hand, taking it in his.

Harry spent the rest of the night watching her sleep, until he dozed off once again and awoke to Molly opening the door the next morning. Harry realized that his hand was still held in hers, but he didn't pull away, only looked at Molly. "Hello, dear, how's Sophie? Did you get any sleep?"

"Uh..Yeah. I just got here." Harry lied.

"Well, shell out now, I need to wake her."

"Right." Harry said, and he left Molly and Sophie.

Sophie was walking around the house by lunch, only a couple of benign scars on her head and arms, and a very wide smile. Hermione and Ginny greeted her well, and Ron made sure to nod to her in appreciation. It was Lupin and Sirius who interested Harry. Lupin made a point to walk over to Sophie, pat her softly on the back, and say, "You really helped us out, Sophie." Sirius had said something close to how impressive her potions really are, and even Moody thanked her. For the next couple of days, the Burrow was peaceful. Sophie explained her potion to Moody as well. As it turns out, she sent Pitch to take strands of hair from each person of the Order the first morning she stayed, and made a barrier potion that would only allow the DNA of each person into the barrier. The only flaw, they found, was Polyjuice Potion, but it was still an extra precaution for safety that had become extremely handy.

Fred and George had also become extremely interested in Sophie's potions, and often asked her questions like, "Do you know how to make a puking potion and an antidote?" and "Do you know how to make one that causes boils? Fireworks? Makes a tree?" Harry had also enjoyed the first few days, consecutively, without disruptions from his enemy. He and Sophie spent a considerable amount of time together for two reasons. The first being because Harry desperately wanted to get to know her more. The second because Ron and Hermione were spending a little extra time together as well, though they'd never admit it.

Sophie also agreed to live and work in Hogsmeade for the duration of her time in England, and Harry made Sophie promise to go to all his Quidditch games. Which, she had no idea what it was until they spent the entire day demonstrating the game to her in the orchard. One night, the family had decided to have dinner out in the yard instead of the normal inside. This was mainly because Lupin, Tonks, Sirius, Moody and Kingsley all decided to come for dinner and Molly knew they would never be able to fit everyone in her little kitchen. Lupin waited until everyone was sitting down and settled before he turned to Sophie, who was sitting next to Harry, and said, "I've spoken to Ambrosius Flume, the owner of Honeydukes. He's agreed to hire you for a year. How would you like that?"

"Neato!" Said Fred and George together.

"You can get us a discount!" Ron said.

Sophie looked at Harry, "Do you like Honeydukes?"

Harry nodded, "I normally make sure to stop in during every Hogsmeade visit."

The conversation about Honeydukes continued, and all the kids made sure to explain how to get to Hogwarts, how to find Harry in Gryffindor tower, and how to order something at the Tree Broomsticks. When dinner was over, Harry pulled Sophie aside and asked her to take a walk with him into the orchard. Everyone, including Lupin and Sirius, made jokes and cooed at Harry, but he didn't mind.

They walked along the rows of trees, Sophie at his side, looking up at the apples that were finally becoming ripe. "I bet Mrs. Weasley will want us to help gather these for her." Sophie smiled.

"She normally charms them." Harry said, "She uses the Summoning Spell." There was a comfortable silence while Sophie watched the moon before her and Harry relished in the fresh crisp air of the night before them. When it was too much to bear, Harry continued, "Listen, Sophie, we'll be going back to Hogwarts soon…" Harry started. He looked at her and noticed that she had stopped and was looking at him, a soft inquisitive smile across her face. He continued, "And..well…" He started to reach into his pocket and pulled out something shiny. Sophie perked up and hopped closer to him to look at it. In his hand there was a gold bracelet with one charm on it. It was, and Sophie appreciated this, a little potion bottle. On the inside, there was a type of bright blue dust. "When it's blue." Harry said softly, taking another step closer, "It means I'm thinking about you."

He felt a wave of satisfaction when her cheeks turned a bright pink and she held out her wrist for him to apply the bracelet. Harry did so, but didn't take his hand away from her when he was finished, but kept hold of it and gently pulled her closer. He really wanted to kiss her, to finally kiss her, but he couldn't. He felt the insides of him squirm and his head go light. Sophie smiled though, leaned close, and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "It's beautiful, thank you."

He was disappointed in himself then. He had the perfect opportunity to kiss her, to ask her out, to make her his girlfriend, he had the whole thing planned out, and he didn't follow his plan in the least. Instead, he had made it awkward. He silently thanked her for doing something to ease the tension and for seeming wholeheartedly appreciative in the charm. "We better be heading back." Harry said softly, for he hadn't moved his face away from hers, "Mrs. Weasley will be wondering." And so he took her by the hand, and they walked together back to the Burrow.

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One more down! Please tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

The next few weeks went by peacefully as it could ever. Particularly because they spent all their time at the now protected Burrow, and if any Death Eater even tried to ambush the family residence, they'd be shot away in such a humiliating manner that most just stopped trying. Molly, especially, appreciated this, because it meant that she could get the yard and food work done without interruptions, Harry liked it because he could spend time with Sophie.

Now, it there were only two days left at the Burrow before Harry and his friends were to be sent back to Hogwarts to commence they're sixth year. The day before their departure, Arthur and Lupin made sure to call up Honeydukes and request for instructions for their new employee. They were told to allow Sophie to attend the Opening Feast with Harry and the others, and Hagrid would return her the next morning to Honeydukes where she would start her training.

Molly was stirring the stew for dinner while Sophie was cooking up some potion or another when Harry walked in. Lupin was sitting at the table, watching Sophie, and they were discussing the various ingredients she was adding. Harry glanced at Lupin questioningly, "It's wolfs bane again, Harry." Lupin said, "It's far more effective than Severus'. I assume because of the ingredients, so I'm paying attention to see what makes it different. Are you packed for tomorrow?"

"Uh, yeah, just need to wait until Hedwig get's back." Harry mumbled, as he sat down next to him and watched Sophie as well, "Is Sirius coming with us?"

"No, Harry, he's going to stay in London. It's safer." Lupin said sternly, "Since Lucius recognized him last year, it would not be intelligent for him to try again this year. He narrowly escaped Bellatrix last-"

"I know." Harry bit out, not wanting Sophie to overhear his stuggle against the world's darkest wizard.

"There we are." Sophie whispered; she wasn't paying attention to Lupin or Harry but intently looking at the little vial in the vial holder. Reaching her hand out, she said gently, "Harry, would you pass me that metal rod? I need to stir it again." And Harry did so, relishing the touch of her fingers against his, and the corners of her mouth twitching gently.

"Harry." Lupin said, pulling his attention away, "Tonks has agreed to live in Hogsmeade with Sophie. They'll be living in the rented apartment over Honeydukes."

"That's right!" Sophie cut in cheerfully, "Isn't that lovely? She's so fun." She handed Lupin a bottle, "Make sure to take a sip once a day for the week."

"Thank you." Lupin said, to which he looked at Harry again, "I'll be in Hogsmeade a lot this year as well. You'll have people close by."

Harry liked the idea of having Lupin around, but he was most excited about Sophie seeing Hogwarts. What was he going to show her first?

"Now, Sophie, do you have a potion that has the same effect as the barrier outside? But mobile?" Lupin asked.

"Like, while we're flying?" Sophie asked.

"Exactly."

Sophie smiled, "I'm sure I can brew something up by tomorrow." And she went to work.

The next day, Harry was woken up by Ron who was woken up by Fred who was woken up by Ginny who was woken up by Molly at five in the morning. Pulling himself out of his bed and glancing at the window, he realized that by the end of the day, he would be laying in his Hogwarts bed listening to Semus and Dean snore once more.

When he got to the kitchen, he saw Sophie's broom floating next to the door waiting for its owner, her bag attached to it, and Pitch curled up on Molly's shoulder, sleeping. But he didn't see Sophie. "Where-"

"Outside, dear." Molly said, "She's getting the brooms ready."

Harry went to the window and looked out. Sophie, Moody and Lupin were standing next to the brooms, Harry could see his own in them middle of the circle that the brooms made. She was going around to each broom and dropping a couple of drops on the handle of each. "She spent all night making that potion." Whispered Molly next to Harry, "Worked so hard, poor dear."

"Why all night?"

"She had to stir it for 10 consecutive hours for that potion to work. She got no sleep…Hopefully, she'll get some sleep on the train. You'll make sure she will, will you?"

"Of course." He said, as he continued to watch her.

They had breakfast and Molly shuffled everyone into the front yard, "Arthur and I will apparate to the station to get the trollys ready. Be safe everyone!" And they were gone.

"Alright." Lupin said, mounting the broom in the front, Tonks was to his right, Moody to his left, and Fred and George taking up the rear. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sophie and Ginny in the middle. "Harry, follow me."

"Don't break ranks this time, Harry." Moody snarled.

So they took off. Sophie was calmly sitting on her broom, again, her legs to one side and her hands laying on her lap serenely. At this, Ron gawked but got over it when Hermione nudged him. Harry, on the other hand, enjoyed watching her fly. Pitch left her shoulder and went down to the little radio on the handle and clicked it on.

"And…It seems we're having a beautiful clear night tonight. Try to stay safe out there, flyers, you never know when a plane's coming. Up next, we have the classic songs of the sixties. Groovy!"

Harry kept a close eye on Sophie, who sometimes drifted off here and there but perked up when he poked her. The only other eventful thing that occurred was the presence of a lone Death Eater, who was testing their defenses before calling any others. Upon finding that his attack would be fruitless by bounding off the barrier and falling to the ground below.

Sophie was humming along to one of the songs on the radio when Moody indicated that it was time to descend, to which they did gracefully and landed in a deserted alleyway outside Kings Cross station.

When they got to the Hogwarts Express platform, Harry glanced at Sophie. She was standing stock still on the floor, looking intently at the large red engine in front of her. "What? Never seen a train before?" Ron joked.

Sophie shook her head slowly and looked at Harry. Despite how rude this was, Harry burst into laughter and shook his head. Ron started laughing, and the only person who didn't seem to find it funny was Hermione, who was giving her best friends a very stern look. But even Sophie, after realizing her mistake, started to laugh. "Come on." Harry said, grabbing her by the hand and leading her onto the train.

It took a while for them to find a compartment to themselves, but they did and sat together. Sophie was sitting up completely straight, watching the scenery go by and the people who were walking past, completely interested in everything that was happening around her. So when Malfoy and his croonies approached the door and opened it, she was most interested. "Friends of yours?" She asked Harry.

"Not exactly." Harry mumbled while standing up with Ron.

"Father told me you have a visitor." Draco drawled happily.

"Yeah, well you won't be seeing a lot of her so don't bother." Harry hissed.

By this time, Sophie had stood up and peeked around Harry to see who the other students were. Draco stopped smirking and stared at Sophie. "It's a shame…" Draco suddenly said, though his voice wasn't its annoying tone anymore, but strong and, to Harry's shock, friendly? While in this shock, Harry didn't feel himself being pushed aside by Draco, but only watched as Draco approached Sophie and took her hand in his, kissing the top of it gently, "I don't think I'd mind seeing more of such a lovely specimen."

"I could gag." Ron whispered to Hermione, only to be glared at by Crab and Goyle.

"What's your name?" Draco said gently, too gently for Harry's liking.

"Sophie." she said.

"Sophie…" Draco repeated, "Lovely. And your accent is adorable. Where are you from?"

"I..uh..Near America." She said, glancing at Harry, who was fuming by now.

"And you'll be attending Hogwarts this year?" Draco continued, stroking her hand with his thumb, "I'm in Slytherin house. You should see if you can make it into ours."

"Oh!" Sophie said, "I won't be staying at Hogwarts, I'll be living in Hogsmeade."

Draco raised an eyebrow, but his façade didn't waver. Instead, he took a step closer and smiled, "I'll come visit then."

"That's enough, Malfoy." Harry said, pushing the other boy away and standing in front of Sophie once more. How did he let Malfoy get so far?

"She's not yours, Potter." Draco hissed.

"I-" But Harry couldn't think of anything to reply with. It was true, she wasn't. She was free to be with any boy she wanted to be with. Even if that meant she might want to be with Draco. He turned around and looked at her, but she was glancing between the two boys, confused.

"Get out, you goons." Ron said, pushing Crabbe and Goyle out of the way, "Go pick on someone your own size. I'm sure a sumo is somewhere on the train."

"I'll be seeing you Sophie." Draco said in his smoothest voice, but his mood completely changed as he looked at Harry, "Potter." And with that, he left.

Harry huffed and sat down, motioning Sophie to do the same. She did so, and glanced at the patrons in the carriage, "Who was that?"

"He didn't even introduce himself." Hermione growled, "What a sleeze."

"Harry? Sophie asked, "You don't like that boy?"

"I hate him." Harry said simply. "A lot."

"Oh.." Sophie said softly, "You shouldn't-"

"You don't know what he's like." Harry said bitterly, "He's being nice to you."

"I shouldn't talk to him?" Sophie asked.

Harry really wanted to say no. He really wanted her to stay as far away from Malfoy as possible, but he couldn't ignore Malfoy's point; Sophie wasn't his. He hadn't gotten the nerve to ask her out a few weeks ago, he hadn't kissed her, he only gave her a bracelet. But he could guess that Draco could give her a lot more if he wanted to. Sighing deeply and glancing at his friends, he said, "You do what you want."

They got to the Opening Feast with no other interruptions, and Harry was happy to see that McGonagall and Dumbledore knew about Sophie's visit, for they both approached the teenagers and welcomed her to Hogwarts.

Sophie thought the feast was phenomenal. She constantly talked about how beautiful everything was, how lavish, how magical, how everything everything was. Hermione was the only one who really knew about the school and she was seen constantly quoting Hogwarts, A History. Harry spent most of his time glancing back at Malfoy, glaring whenever Malfoy looked over, which was, to his despair, a lot.

"So.." Hermione started, pulling Harry away from Malfoy's glare, "You're leaving for Hogsmeade tomorrow, then?"

"Mmmhmm." Sophie smiled, "That tall man, Hagrid, is going to escort me."

"He's a friend of ours." Ron said, "He's really nice. You'll like him." At this, Sophie's smile widened.

"We should be getting to bed." Hermione said as she realized that the feast was over and it was time to head up to the Common Room like every year, "Sophie, I'll take you to the dormitories."

The girls headed up to the dorms together, Sophie talking about various things about the castle. At one point, Hermione complimented her bracelet. "Oh!" Said Sophie, "Thank you. Harry gave it to me."

"Did he?" Hermione asked, taking Sophie's wrist in her hand and looking at it, "How adorable."

Sophie beamed, "He said it turns blue when he's thinking of me." And sure enough, the potion inside the bottle was blue.

Harry stayed down in the Great Hall while Ron took his third helping. Upon seeing his friend thinking vaguely, Ron said between mouthfuls, "Don't worry mate. No one in their right mind would date Malfoy."

Harry nodded. Hopefully his friend was right. In the mean time, he was going to find out the first Hogsmeade trip.

Thanks for reading! :)


	7. Chapter 7

Harry awoke the next morning to hope that he was in Ron's bedroom and they were still at the Burrow with Sophie and Lupin and Sirius. But he was wrong; he was back at Hogwarts. And though he loved the school, for it was practically his home, he knew that today he would have to say goodbye to Sophie. So Harry pulled himself out of bed and glanced at Ron. His friend had already gotten up as well and was dressing. Harry dressed and started to head downstairs to see Hermione sitting in one of the big fluffy chairs next to the fireplace, reading. "Morning." Harry said, "Where's Sophie?"

"She left." Hermione said, looking up at him, "Professor McGonagall came and got her a couple of hours ago. Said they needed to travel when no one would be awake yet."

Harry felt a mixture of anger and disappointment brewing in his chest. Had he really missed saying goodbye to her? After their little with the bracelet? How could McGonagall do that? How could Hermione do that? But Harry sighed and glared at Hermione before stalking out of the room and into the corridor.

Days passed, and there was no sign of Sophie. She didn't come to the castle and the first Hogsmeade trip wasn't until October, so Harry's best option was just to attend school and hope she was okay. So one morning, while eating breakfast and talking to Ron about the next Quidditch tryouts, Harry wasn't surprised to see the fluttering of owls above him. What surprised him was a little gray owl flying down with a package a little to big for him, and landing less than gracefully in front of Harry. "It's just like Pig!" Ron said, looking over Harry's shoulder, "Whose it from?"

"Don't know." Harry said, as he took the parchment and package from the owl, giving it an affectionate pet and allowing it to flutter away. Harry opened the letter:

_Good morning Harry. _

_It has taken me a while to get settled here at Honeydukes. Mr. Flume and his wife have treated me very well, and Tonks is a wonderful roommate. (It's her owl that I used to send you this. She's been kind enough to share with me until I get my own. His name is Ook.) I've been working really hard under Mr. Flume, and he's allowed me to make some sweets of my own invention. That's what's in the package! They're chocolate with mint and fruits in the middle, but when you bite into one, everything around you turns the color of the flavor inside! Only for a few moments, of course. Share with your friends. You'll have to tell me when your first Quidditch game is so I can watch. I'd love to see you play! I hope all is well otherwise. I'll be seeing you soon._

_Sophie_

Harry smiled and started to hand out the sweets to Hermione and Ron, "They're from Sophie."

"Ah! Wonderful!" Hermione said, taking a bit out of the candy and almost panicking when she saw that her vision went pink.

Weeks passed again, and Harry got more and more letters from Sophie, and he replied to each and every single one. He sent him more treats that she had invented, and he would tell her what he thought in his reply. Hermione and Ron enjoyed them as well, and made sure to tell Harry to let her know this. But Harry still missed her. He missed how completely carefree she was, how happy she was, and her simplicity. He wanted nothing more than to just spend time with her, but couldn't really figure out how without going to Hogsmeade. And though he could easily sneak there, Hermione and Ron wanted to see her as well, and knew that it wouldn't be wise if all three of them suddenly disappeared for the day.

So, finally, Harry decided to invite her to the Quidditch tryouts. Hermione advised against this; for Sophie was bound to distract Harry, but Ron didn't seem to agree, and insisted that Sophie come along. And bring treats.

On the morning of tryouts, Harry was eating his breakfast and looking over his shoulder, waiting for the arrival of a certain quest, while Ron was shoving his face with food nervously. It wasn't until they were outside that Harry saw a shape in the sky, and the distant yapping of oldies music. "She's here.." Harry whispered, just barely catching Ron and Hermione's attention.

Sure enough, Sophie was fluttering in the air above the path between Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, her legs on one side. She waved loudly when she caught sight of them, and the trio waved back. By doing this, however, they caught the attention of fellow schoolmates, and soon a crowd of Hogwarts students were gathered around Harry and the others, gawking at the scene before them.

Harry was perturbed by their attention; confused even, but he remembered that Sophie only stayed for half a night and most certainly didn't bring attention to herself on their first day back from school. No wonder no one remembered her from the first night back. So seeing her now, for what they thought was the first time, most students were quite surprised. Draco, however, remembered her. For he happened to be close by when she landed on the ground, and Harry was too far away, but grew in anger at the sight before him. Sophie dismounted her floating broom, which stood by her side obediently, while Pitch jumped off and ran straight to Hermione. Draco, however, bowed to her and seemed to be attempting to swoon her. He grabbed her hand like he had on the train, and kissed it, sending a fury of whispers around the ever growing crowd of students surrounding them.

Sophie merely smiled politely, but at the sight of Harry, respectfully dismissed herself, and ran straight to Harry. Grinning, Harry opened his arms nonchalantly, and allowed Sophie to fall into them, squeezing him around the waist. "Harry! How have you been?" She said happily, before turning to Hermione and Ron, in turn, and hugging each of them. Both greeted her kindly.

Harry laughed, for two reasons. The first being how happy Sophie was to see him. And the second being how unhappy Draco was at how happy Sophie was to see him. "Glad you got back okay." Harry said, "We're just about to head to the Quidditch Pitch."

Sophie nodded and summoned her broom to follow her, which it did, and she and the others started heading down the hill. Harry couldn't help but turn around and look back at Draco, who was fuming next to an even angrier Pansy. "You'll be going to the first game, too, right?" Ron asked, while trotting next to Harry, "I'm trying out for Keeper. Do you remember which position that was?"

Sophie laughed, "The goal keeper?"

"Oh.." And Ron turned red and looked at the laughing Hermione.

"So.." Harry said, "Tryouts are only until about 4 o'clock. What are you going to do after that?"

"Well, I assume go back home." Said Sophie innocently, but Hermione and Ron were giving Harry very knowing looks.

"We'll see you at the pitch, Harry." Hermione said, before roughly pulling Ron away and leading him quickly down the hill.

Harry secretly thanked his friends before looking at Sophie, "I was hoping we could have dinner together in Hogsmeade."

Sophie stopped and her face was beaming, "Oh! I'd love that! Then you can go visit Honeydukes and see Tonks! She's been wanting to ask you about some stuff. Something about.." She leaned her head close and said, "Something about Sirius." She finished.

Harry pushed his concern about Sirius aside for a moment, and smiled at her, "Great. After tryouts, then. For now, I think you better join Herimone in the stands."

Sophie nodded and hopped onto her broom before gracefully floating up to the stands where Hermione was sitting. Ginny walked up behind Harry and said, "Really, we should just recruit her."

Tryouts were normal for Harry. He was Seeker, Ginny Chaser, Ron Keeper, all of this was the norm. But Harry couldn't help glancing at Sophie a lot during this practice, watching her stand on her tip toes to see him down at the bottom of the Pitch, and clap for Ron, Ginny and Him when they did well. She truly was, to Harry at least, beautiful inside and out. When all was finished, Harry rushed up to the castle to get changed into proper and clean clothes, spritz himself with something manly smelling, and rush back down to the Entrance Hall where Sophie was waiting. Harry smiled and said, "Shall we?"

"Don't you have a curfew?" Sophie asked.

"Not with this." Harry said, pulling out his Invisibility cloak, "Come on. I know a short cut." And he draped it over her before leading her down an empty corridor and into the secret passage that would eventually get them to the basement of Honeydukes. It was a long trip, for Sophie kept tripping behind him, but the broom followed obediently and soon Harry found himself pushing up the trap door and letting her out before himself.

"Honeydukes…" Sophie whispered.

"Yeah, it's a secret passage. Make sure not to tell anyone, alright?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Flume already know about it. But I didn't know that it went to Hogwarts."

Harry nodded, closing the door and walking to the stairs, "Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop?" Harry asked. Sophie nodded and the two headed up the stairs and into the fresh brisk air of Hogsmeade. It was really beautiful with the snow, Harry always loved it, and now he especially loved it because he was spending time with Sophie. Grabbing her by the hand, he opened the door of the tea shop and took a table in the corner by the window. They ordered-a coffee for Harry and a hot chocolate for Sophie-while they waited for their food. Harry then turned his attention directly upon Sophie, "So, you like Honeydukes then? They're treating you well?"

"Yes, they're lovely." Sophie gushed, "They let me experiment all I want, and then Tonks will test them for me. And sometimes if I sell enough of my own creation, they'll give me a little bonus-like a thank you for making a new product. It's really been most lovely."

Harry was resting his head on his hand, smiling at her, enjoying her voice. "I've missed you." He said simply. Then, after he said it, he panicked. Why did he just say that? What if she got creeped out but it? What if she thought he was some stalker or something?

But Sophie smiled, "I've missed you too. It's been a little boring without all of you."

Harry inwardly sighed in relief and smiled at her once more. Then, realizing that he had her full and complete attention, his smile deepened and he started to lean forward. Sophie, who was innocently staring at him, took a hint to also lean forward, though Harry could tell that she thought she was being told a secret. Reaching up and pushed some of her hair out of her face, Harry leaned even closer and swelled with pride when she started to close her eyes.

"Here you are, dears!" Came Madam Puddifoot's cheery voice, causing the couple to shoot apart and looked at the food placed before hem.

"Thank you, ma'am!" Sophie said politely, but she was smiling at Harry. At least she knew he tried.

The meal went well overall. Sophie had a small pastry something to go along with her hot chocolate, and Harry had something with meat. Secretly, he missed that he could be having a wonderful feast at Hogwarts, and inwardly thought that maybe he could have invited her to dinner at the school. However, he remembered that leaning over the table and attempting to kiss a girl wouldn't have gone well with everyone at school, and was glad they were where they were. When finished, Harry paid and led her back to Honeydukes. The store was completely empty, just like it had been earlier that night when they snuck out of the building for their dinner. "Tonks should be upstairs." Sophie explained, heading to the small staircase at the corner of the room.

But Harry grabbed her by the arm and made her turn around. "Before we go upstairs…" Harry said, taking a step closer to her and taking her hand in his. He, again, lifted her chin so that she was looking up at him, and once again, started to inch his face close to hers. And just like the last attempt, Harry watched as Sophie slowly closed her eyes.

"Harry!"

And like last time, they shot apart and looked around them for the offending noise. Tonks was standing at the top of the staircase, smiling down at them. Obviously, she didn't know what Harry tried. "How are you?" She asked, walking down the stairs.

"Uh…Fine, thanks." But not really. "How have you been?"

"Fine. Just planning the wedding. You know, Remus finally proposed." She was beaming, and as annoyed as Harry was, he couldn't help but feel happy for her.

"That's great, Tonks."

"Come inside and have some of Sophie's chocolates!" Tonks said, opening the door for them, "They're amazing!" And Harry and Sophie obediently followed Tonks into the small flat over Honeydukes. Harry took a spot on the couch of the living room while Sophie went to fetch her chocolate. Tonks sat across from him, "Sirius has been asking about you."

"How's he doing?" Harry asked quickly, "Is he alright?"

"Yes, yes." Tonks smiled, "He's just wondering, you know, how it's going with Sophie. If you've mustered up the courage to ask her out yet or not."

Harry flushed and looked away from Tonks. "Erm…"

"But that's not what I want to talk to you about tonight." Tonks said, and she became serious, "Apparently, there's been some sightings of Death Eaters here in Hogsmeade. I've seen a few lurking in Hogs Head already. We've agreed-now don't get angry!-that you should stay at Hogwarts and not come to Hogsmeade during your trips."

"What?" Harry yelled, standing up.

"Now, Harry!" Tonks said, "Don't get angry at me! It was Remus and Sirius who made the choice! You being here tonight is dangerous enough as it is!"

Harry was breathing hard. Really? Taking away Hogsmeade? The only chance to get away from school? The only chance to go shopping for ridiculous treats? And one of the few ways to see Sophie? "I can handle myself, thanks." He bit out, "Really, I'll be fine. Make sure to pass that on to Remus and Sirius."

"Harry, it's for your safety…" Tonks reasoned, "You need to be careful. If you get hurt-"

"I won't get hurt!"

"Harry…" But this time it wasn't Tonks, it was Sophie. She was holding a plate of chocolates that had been decorated with the color of the upcoming Christmas season. Her eyes, normally bright, were dull and confused, and her faced showed every sign of concern.

"Sophie…" Harry realized that that was the first time how his yelling affected her. She wasn't scared of Harry, he could see that. He knew that her knowledge of potions and spells were far beyond his own, and she could easily kill him if she really needed to. No, her fear came from her concern over him. Some how, Harry felt that his temper was making her feel like a burden. Sighing, he said, "Tonks, I'll send an owl to Sirius and Lupin tomorrow."

"Alright." Tonks said sternly, "But you have to have permission from Sirius to go to Hogsmeade, understand?"

"Understood." Harry said in defeat, before grabbing his robe and scarf and waiting for Sophie to follow him out the door. While on the ground floor of Honeydukes, Harry stopped, "Sorry about that…"

"You're very passionate." She said softly, "Very fiery."

"Yeah, a little bit." Said Harry, before he picked up one of the chocolates and shoved it in his mouth. Chewing, he said, "These are amazing!"

Sophie giggled at him, "Thank you. I made them yesterday. I think they're a little too sweet but…"

"No, they're perfect. Hogwarts kids will love them." And Harry swallowed before smiling down at her, "I better be off. Almost eight now. The curfew for the Common Rooms will be soon."

Sophie nodded and handed Harry the plate of chocolates, "Take them. I'll make more tomorrow." She smiled as Harry gratefully took the plate and eyed up, Harry smiled at her once again. Tonks already thought they had left, no one in Honeydukes to serve them food, surely, he would be able to try one last time. And sure enough, Sophie seemed to know what he was thinking, for when he started leaning in for the third time, she giggled, but followed the routine they had made during the night.

They were only an inch apart. A centimeter apart. So close; Harry could feel her breath brushing against his own lips, and Harry secretly hoped that the chocolate didn't make his breath smell too bad…

But then there was a loud bang, and for the third time, Harry and Sophie shot a part. Only, it wasn't because they were embarrassed to be caught about to kiss. This time, there was a Death Eater standing among the shattered glass of Honeyduke's front window, pointing his wand at Harry. Grabbing Sophie around the waist, Harry pushed her back and yelled, "Stupefy!"

But the Death Eater blocked it, and it rebounded to Harry. He ducked and the curse just missed him, but from the shocked scream behind him, Harry knew that it had hit Sophie. Panicking, he threw another curse at the Death Eater, now finally sending it back a couple of feet. "TONKS!" Harry yelled up stairs while the Death Eater slowly pulled himself up, "TONKS!"

Tonks flung herself down the stairs and threw a curse to the Death Eater, and the two of them dueled. Harry decided to turn around to Sophie, and screamed out with rage. Her arms and legs were bleeding from the glass that was flung around her. One kiss. That's all Harry wanted. Just one bloody kiss. Lunging forward, he covered Sophie's body with his own and pushed his wand on her wounds, mumbling, "Vulnera Sanentur." And he wanted to heal her. He really did, but he was so unfocused that none of the wounds improved. Breathing heavily, Harry picked Sophie up and looked over his shoulder. Thankfully, Tonks had done away with the Death Eater and was bounding him tightly. Moody and Lupin some how had showed up as well, for they were along side Tonks, carrying the body away. Harry murmured loudly, "Tonks…Sophie…"

"That poor girl…" Tonk whispered as she took out her wand and started chanting the counter spell that Harry just couldn't do. When finished, she said, "She's always getting hurt."

"Because of me." Harry said resentfully. And though Tonks shook her head at him, and he was sure Sophie would disagree, Harry knew. Every single time she had been hurt or attacked, she was with him. If only they had never met over England those few months ago. If only, and it killed Harry to think this, if only she was safe somewhere else.

* * *

One more down! Poor Harry can't get action. ;)


	8. Chapter 8

"Sophie'll be alright." Tonks assured Harry the next day, "I just did a couple of counter spells on her and had her take some potion she brewed herself. She's good as new."

"She wouldn't have to be 'good as new' if she didn't know me."

"Harry! Stop this!" Hermione scolded. She had been informed of Sophie's condition the next morning when Harry slumped down the stairs of the Common Room and almost glared at Hermione when she asked him how his night with Sophie when. Sophie was taken to the hospital wing in Hogwarts to be kept until she was in full health, and Tonks, through responsibility, had spent the night with Sophie. When asked how this happened, Tonks had lied for Harry and said he was no where to be seen; only Tonks and Sophie were attacked. There was a large box of sweets next to Sophie's bed from the owners of Honeydukes.

Sophie was asleep on the bed thanks to a heavy sleeping potion, and Harry hadn't left her spot since they entered the hospital wing the night before. He hadn't attended breakfast, which gathered the attention from Hermione and Ron, and still hadn't atteneded his classes. Sophie was his main priority now.

"We've got to do something…" Harry whispered.

"We've done everything. Sophie'll be fine-"

"Not about that." Harry seethed out, "About Sophie's…situation."

"What do you mean, mate?" Ron asked, "Move her?"

"Something like that, sure."

"But she loves Honeydukes!" Tonks yelled, which gained a very annoyed look from Madam Pomfry, "She feels so much at home here!"

"Well we very well can't have her near me!" Harry said, standing up as well.

"Harry! Stop taking it out on Tonks!" Hermione yelled as well.

"Harry!" But that wasn't the voice of Ron or Tonks, but Sirius. He and Lupin just opened the door of the hospital wing. "Let's talk about this outside, shall we?"

So Sirius grabbed Harry by the scruff of his robes and dragged him outside, Lupin and Tonks following. Hermione decided to stay next to Sophie instead of witnessing the fight-she didn't much like the idea of listening to Harry yelling at his godfather. Ron followed the fight, however.

"What is with you?" Sirius scolded loudly, "First you want her right next to you all the time, then you want her gone? Make up your mind!"

"Well I wanted her around before she was constantly in danger!" Harry yelled, "I didn't know she would get hurt every single time she was around me!"

"She was in danger when she flew over England for the first time." Lupin said calmly, "And now that Death Eaters know that she's acquainted to you…"

"I want her gone." Harry said finally. He was glaring at the three adults before him, his voice final, but it cracked. He didn't want Sophie gone. He wanted her right next to him, constantly with him, smiling at him, but he knew this wasn't possible. She needed to be safe.

"Harry…" Sirius said softly.

"Don't." Harry said, "Don't try to make me feel better. I'll tell her when she wakes up and you'll escort her back to America."

"Harry…you don't want her to leave…"

"WELL OBVIOUSLY NOT." Harry boomed, and he was sure he heard a terrified squeak from Hermione in the other room, and a very loud scoff from Pomfry, "But I HAVE to! I have to let her go! She'll die because of me! And I'm not letting anyone else die because of me! She has to leave!"

"Harry…"

But that wasn't Hermione, or Sirius, or anyone of a male voice. It was Sophie, who had most certainly been woken up by Harry's outburst and was standing at the door of the Hospital wing, wearing a small white gown, her face just as white as the fabric.

"Sophie. We need to talk." And Harry took her by the upperpart of the arm and led her back into the hospital wing. He glared at Hermione to get out, which she did with a roll of her eyes, and she slammed the door behind her. Harry looked at Madam Pomfry, "A moment?" And the old witch tutted at Harry and left for her office.

Harry sat down on Sophie's bed and motioned for her to follow his example. When she did, wincing because sitting down hurt for her, Harry started, "Listen…Sophie…"

"You want me to leave." She said softly, looking at her fingers instead of Harry.

"Not because I don't like you." Harry said quickly, "For your safety. Sophie, you're not safe here. Not around me. I can't risk it anymore."

"Mmmhmm." She said quietly, still not meeting his gaze. After a moment of silence, she said, "I really like it here, Harry…"

"I know. And I like having you here. But, really Sophie, we're in a war."

He looked at her in the face for the first time; tears were streaming down here soft cheeks and landing on her frozen hands. Harry wanted nothing more than to pull her into a hug and tell her everything would be alright, but he couldn't, because he was the one causing her the pain. They sat in silence for the longest time. Harry noticed that Madam Pomfry was peeking out of her office and scowling at the fact that Harry was taking his time with Sophie, but he didn't care. He only cared about how Sophie was feeling.

The only indication of how Sophie was feeling was made when she slowly stood up from where she was sitting. She wouldn't look at him, though, but she said, "I'll go pack."

"Sophie…"

But she didn't say anything in return. She started walking to the door and opened it to find Tonks, Lupin and Sirius waiting for her. Lupin was the first of the adults to say anything, "Ron and Hermione had to go to class…" but he trailed off at the look on Sophie's face, "I suppose we're taking you home, then?" And Sophie nodded while she waited for Tonks to gather her things.

Sirius and Lupin stayed behind while Tonks led Sophie back home to start packing and informing her employers that she wouldn't be working for them anymore.

Lupin opened the door of the wing and walked in, Sirius close on his heel. "Harry, I know it hurts for now…"

"Shut up." Harry said.

"Harry." Sirius tried, "You did the right thing.."

But Harry only glared at them, hopped up from where he was sitting, and started to leave the wing. Sirius grabbed him roughly by the arm and spun his godson around, "Look, son, you need to understand something! You can't mope around and get angry at us anymore! We're here to help you!"

"And how would you feel if you had to tell someone you cared about that they had to leave?" Harry yelled, "How would you fe-"

"We do know how you feel, Harry!" Sirius bellowed, "You're not the only one who made sacrifices!"

Harry glared at him once more and then left the wing to loath anything and everything on his own. That night, Hedwig arrived to him with a small note from Tonks saying that Lupin was going to escort Sophie via apparation the following day, and that it wouldn't be a good idea to go to Hogsmeade to say goodbye. Angry enough as it was, Harry had thrown the paper away. He went to classes and everything like he was supposed to, but he didn't pay attention. Hermione spent from breakfast to lunch trying to convince Harry to pay attention and to look on the bright side-which was that Sophie was safe. But Harry didn't listen. He just glared at her like he was at everyone else and ignored any reassurance from Ron.

Molly had sent a letter to Harry as well, telling him she was thinking of him and that she would be there if he needed anyone. He crumpled the paper into a ball in front of a affronted Ron and threw it into the fireplace of the Common Room. Sirius had also sent a letter giving him quite the lecture about his behavior during the past couple of days. That letter met the same fate.

Harry didn't hear from Sophie for the rest of the year, and when Dumbledore died in the hands of Snape and Malfoy, he didn't have time to stop and pay attention to how Sophie was doing. For all he knew, she was dead, or safe and sound in her own house. No one knew for sure. When Lupin came back from America, he made sure to take her straight to her house and explain to Sophie's parents the condition of England at the time, and that it wouldn't be wise to let Sophie out of the area until they were sure it was safe for her to travel the world. He said her parents were very kind. Both pure-blood, very learned in Potions, and seemed to be bewildered at the idea of a Ministry of Magic. Lupin had explained the concept of Voldemort, who Harry Potter was, and the risk of Sophie staying in Hogsmeade. In the end, Sophie asked Lupin to inform her of when the war was over and it was safe to go back to England. Lupin promised he would inform the Order and if it wasn't him, someone would most certainly inform her. For the time being, he said, it would be a good idea to subscribe to the Daily Prophet for updates on the war. Sophie did so.

It was a long year after that. A sad Christmas. An even sadder end of the year. Harry had never had a worse year at Hogwarts than before. And on top of all of this, he never got to kiss Sophie like he wanted to. He never got to ask her out, to have a proper date, to spend time with her without the interruption of Death Eaters and the Weasleys. She was gone now. Out of Hogsmeade, out of England, and out of his life forever.

Harry didn't go to Hogwarts the following year, but spent his time looking for Horcruxes with Hermione and Ron. He often thought about Sophie-and he knew that he was causing her bracelet to turn blue at this. That is, if she was still wearing the bracelet. Harry wasn't sure. He just knew that he couldn't get her beautiful face out of his mind.

The war was long. Harry was worn, sunken, and of almost no hope. When it was all over. When Voldemort and the other six sections of his soul were finally destroyed, Harry was able to sit down at the Weasley table and breath deeply. The Weasley home, he had been at once since his time with Sophie there. For Bill's wedding. It was, after all, always a place for Harry's most happiest memories. Harry loved the Burrow; and loved it even more now that the war was over and he could move about the world freely. Now all he had to do was follow his career. He was staying in Ron's room with his best friend at the moment, while Hermione stayed with Ginny. It was the first summer since the war and Molly was busy cooking breakfast for the teenagers. Sirius, Lupin and Tonks all lived through the war, and were sitting down at the table discussing the weather. Moody had died, along with Fred, and thus the atmosphere of the Burrow was still stern and quiet.

"Ronald, dear, we'll have to clean out Bill's room today." Molly started, "He's already gotten all his things since the wedding. I was thinking of making it into a little sitting room. What do you think, dear?"

"Mum, I don't read." Ron said curtly, causing Harry to chuckle.

"Don't give me lip. You and Harry clean it today, will you?"

So after breakfast and a list of instructions from Ron's mother, Harry and his friend climbed the stairs to the top. Opening Bill's door, Harry saw that Bill hadn't lived there since being engaged with Fleur, and there was a thick layer of dust on absolutely everything. "We should just blast everything out the window…" Ron mumbled, glancing around at the dirty newspapers and books littering the floor.

Harry nodded in agreement and took out his wand, completely ready to just do away with all the rubbish of the room. That was, until he saw something on the bed. Harry held his hand up to stop Ron from casting the spell, to which Ron immediately complied, and looked at the little nightstand next to Bill's made bed. Upon it sat a little radio that was normally tied around the wood of a broomstick. "Sophie's radio…" Harry said softly.

Ron blinked at his friend and turned his attention to the side table. "Oh..She must have taken it off before going to Hogwarts with us…"

But Harry wasn't listening. He walked over to the table and picked up the radio, examining it. He felt a pained tug in the middle of his chest-like, he couldn't help but feel an immense weight of sadness. What was Sophie doing now? Was she married already? Did she go to a different country to train? How was she feeling? Did she think of him like he thought of her?

"Harry!" Came a voice from down before. It was Arthur. "Harry, where are you? Ronald?"

"In here, Mr. Weasley…" Harry mumbled, but he knew that Arthur couldn't hear him.

Ron's father had to find the two without help, for he entered Bill's room and smiled at the boys, "There you are! I talked to the Ministry today. Your training for aurors starts tomorrow. You'll be going to work with me."

"Brilliant!" Ron said to his father, "Great! Isn't that great, Harry? We don't have to finish our last year at Hogwarts."

"Yup."

"We'll go straight on to being aurors. That was pretty easy, huh?"

"Yup."

"Granted, you two had to fight a war. Not every auror has to go through that." Arthur chuckled at his son, but turned his attention to Harry, "You alright, son?"

"Yup."

Arthur gave Harry a concerned look and glanced at Ron, who pointed to the bed side table where the radio still sat undisturbed. "I..I'll leave you two to it. Be down for dinner on time. Molly is making kidney soup." And he left.

Ron stayed with Harry for a couple minutes longer, but left to tend to something downstairs, mumbling a quick goodbye to his best friend. Harry didn't notice him leave, however. When Ron left, Harry sat down upon Bill's bed, and looked around the room some more. There was the vase that Molly had placed flowers in for Sophie when she was wounded for the first time. The bedding was made up in the same way Sophie did it when she was there. Harry even saw little paw prints that Pitch made in the dust in the corner, most likely observing one of the plenty of spiders of the room.

It had been over a year since he had seen Sophie's beautiful face before him. Worst of all, Harry didn't have a picture of her anywhere around him. He only had his memory of her implanted in his mind. And Harry couldn't help but ask himself: Would he ever see Sophie again?

* * *

A bit of a sad chapter. I think the next chapter or the one after that will be the last. We'll see. Please tell me what you think! Thanks for reading! :)


	9. Chapter 9

"Alright, boys!" Arthur Weasley said, while walking backwards to address his son and Harry, "The Ministry had come under some new management since the fall of Voldemort." He smiled to himself at this. Husband of Molly, father of seven, adoptive father of The Boy Who Lived, member of Order of the Phoenix, and survivor of both Voldemort-Eras, one of which included the siege of the Ministry; Arthur Weasley had been through it all. And his very children, all of them, had been fighting along side him. His smile widened and his pride swelled deep within his chest as he said, "I look forward to working with the both of you."

"Us too, Mr. Weasley." Harry smiled.

"Please, Harry, call me Arthur now." And Harry felt like home.

Ron was trotting along with his father, also proud, smiling at the other Ministry workers. Most smiled back at him, obviously still remembering what Ron and Harry did for the magical community. A few even walked up to Harry to shake his hand and say things like, "Nice to see you, Mr. Potter!" and "Can't wait to work with you!" and finally, "Glad to see you're not Undesirable Number One anymore!"

"Alright." Arthur finally said while approaching the auror office, "Ron, you'll be with Kingsley here. Harry, you'll be with me."

"But…You're not an auror, Mr. Wea-Arthur…" Harry said.

"No, I'm not. But we need to tend to some business before you go off to training." Arthur said, smiling at Ron instead of at Harry.

Harry followed Arthur all the way to the other side of the Ministry building, to Arthur's office. Arthur seemed to have a hop in his step that Harry just couldn't place. Happy, overly happy, and this, above all things, made Harry most suspicious. Mainly because Arthur was never that happy while working in the Ministry. Arthur got to the door of his office and stopped, opened it, and said, "In you go."

"Aren't you going in?"

"No, Harry, you can face this on your own." Arthur smiled, "I'll see you at Kingsley's office." And he was gone.

Harry had come to the point in his life when he didn't ask many questions in regards to what other people in his life, especially adults, were doing. Most of the time fate landed him safely back to reality, and the fact that Arthur and Ron knew something that he didn't wasn't something that overly bothered him. Harry had gotten to the point to just 'go with the flow' and hope for the best.

Taking a few slow steps into the office, Harry noticed two things. The first was a certain obedient broom floating in the corner of the room, waiting for its master, and Pitch, sitting on Arthur's desk. There was a figure of a woman standing with her back to him, but Harry already knew who it was. Her legs were longer; her hair too, and she was hopping on the balls of her feet happily humming to an old 60's song. She hadn't noticed him yet.

"Sophie…" Harry whispered. He really wanted to scream it out; to tell her he was there, to hug her, to hold her, but he didn't know if he should. Was she already taken? Had she chosen a man that didn't get her into harms way all the time. Why was she here?

"Sophie." And that one was louder.

She turned around and instantly she was smiling. "Harry! It's so wonderful to see you! I see Arthur is well also! He said Molly and the others were well. I heard about-"

"Why are you here?"

Sophie stopped short and stared at him, "I'm sorry?"

"Why are you here?" Harry repeated, "I almost killed three times…"

"No. You saved my life three times."

"You're not safe here."

"I thought the war was over."

"That doesn't mean there's no danger. There are still Death Eaters lurking around, hoping that Voldemort will come back like he did last time. You're not safe around me."

Sophie was still smiling, despite the fact that he was practically telling her to leave. She walked up to him smoothly and ended up to be only an inch away from his chest, smiling up at him, her eyes bright, her lips plump just like Harry remembered. She held up her wrist and upon it he saw the bracelet that he gave her years ago. Gently, she said, "It turns blue. At least once a day, I see it turn blue. Sometimes, it'll be blue for just a couple moments, and others, it'll be blue for hours. And for a moment, I noticed that all the sand had completely left, and Arthur explained you had died for a short interval." Her smile widened, "I'm not afraid."

"The Death Eaters…" Harry started, but her closeness and beauty was overwhelming him. It had been years. And she was right-Every day since she left, he had thought about her. He tried again, "…You should be afraid of the Death Eaters.."

"I'm not talking about the Death Eaters. Or Voldemort. Or anyone else that someone might mention. There is only one risk that I'm worried about now."

And Harry knew what he was supposed to do. Grabbing her gently with his fingertips at the waist, he tugged her forward, and she complied, for she hopped into the balls or her feet to meet his height. He was so close, just like he was years ago, but only this time, it was going to happen. He was going to place his lips upon hers, and she would kiss him back, and they would be together…

"Harry!" Came Ron's voice, "Harry! You still in here?"

"Harry, my boy! You're sure taking your time!" Arthur said as they opened the door, "Kingsley needs you…Oh…"

"Really?" Harry whispered, and Sophie giggled. He sighed and rested his head against Sophie's and said a little louder, "Right. Arthur, will you take Sophie to the Burrow to wait for me?"

"Sure thing, Harry." Arthur chuckled, and he shuffled Sophie out of the room so that Harry and Ron could start their training.

That night, Sophie was waiting for him at the table of the kitchen of the Burrow, chopping potatoes for Molly for dinner. Harry say her through the kitchen window, and though Ron didn't want to walk any more, for they had a long day, Harry started to sprint to the door.

"Harry! Goodness, boy, you don't need to run!" Molly yelled, but Harry didn't listen to her.

Sophie had stood up upon his arrival, shocked like Molly. Harry ran to her, and ignoring the gasps and chuckles from the other patrons of the small Burrow kitchen, he tightly wrapped his arms around Sophie and without allowing her to resist, though he knew she wouldn't, he quickly pressed his lips upon hers.

He heard the barking laugh of Sirius, the soft polite chuckle of Lupin, and the very loud and obnoxious laugh of Tonks. But they didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the soft body against his, the feeling of her arms snaking around his neck and pulling him closer than he already was, and how lovely she smelled.

That night, Harry found himself sitting in Bill's room with Sophie, who was playing with the small radio she had gone so long without. They had decided that she would stay with the Weasley family until she went back home, where, Harry found out, she was working in a hospital and making her potions. She said multiple times that she'd like to go visit the owners of Honeydukes another time, and that she missed making lollies dearly, but in the end, working in a hospital was her calling.

"Stationing an auror in other countries would be smart…" Harry mused softly, while walking around the room and inspecting the dust. He was actually trying to be nonchalant.

"Working at St. Mungo's wouldn't be a bad experience either…" Sophie said softly, while turning around to smile at him.

And this was why Harry wasn't scared any more. Because the girl sitting in front of him, diligently turning the dial on the radio to make sure it worked, was also going to work hard to have a future with him. A future, Harry didn't know. A future that he feared would consist of more danger, more harm, and more sacrifices, but no matter how hard he wanted to steer Sophie away from these, he knew that she was simply too strong and too brave to turn away for a second time. She was safe, she was his, and Harry didn't have anything to fear any longer.

* * *

The End! Hope you liked this story! :) Thanks for reading!


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